Headaches
by Ava Miranda Dakedavra
Summary: ...And that wasn't because the pillow her nose was incidentally pressed into smelled exactly like Fred. But that was an upside of course. T for an F bomb.
1. Thnks fr th Mmrs

***~Swearing, yay!~***

**Brought on by the fact that today has been a very long day and I just wanted to yell "Fuck you!" But, obviously, I couldn't, considering I was either at school or at home. So Hermione's doing it for me.**

**So, yeah, a little bit of cursing in this chapter. Or a lot. Depends on whether you count this [&*?#$^] as cursing too. That could be a moderate amount of cursing. And if you count this whole author's note in it as well. Or if you're in another country and don't speak a word of English except for 'fuck.' Then maybe you think I'm just cursing you out here. I don't know.**

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><p>The dull throbbing was soon becoming a continuous ache in her skull, but the throbbing continued as well, going on and pounding out in rhythm '<em>why, why, why, why<em>….'

_Why_ did she have to help Fred and George out once Verity got married and moved to Japan?

_Why_ was it just them, her and Lee working at the store?

_Why_ did the store have to be so popular?

_Why_ was she friends with Ginny?

"Aww, Hermione, are you mad?" Ginny pouted at her as she swung her legs against the counter, where Hermione was leaning against with one of her legs sticking out and propping her up.

"Shush, Ginny," Hermione murmured, "Be a good ginger and shush."

"Aww, but it's so much more fun to terrorize you!" she grinned as Lee poked through the cash register dully.

"Hush, Ginny," Hermione said again, the pain spreading to her eyelids as well.

"You need to fix your hair – I could do this really pretty braid for you, I did it on a reserve girl for her play," she said, "It's looking pretty grimy too, maybe you need to go up and wash it before I – "

"_Fuck_ you."

Lee and Ginny looked over at Hermione quickly, seeing the horror on her face before looking at each other with their own eyebrows raised. The two suddenly howled in laughter, Hermione rubbing her temples and groaning.

"What did you do to Hermione?" Fred asked, frowning at his friend and sister as he walked forward, placing a hand on Hermione's back, "Listen, Love, go get some sleep. We'll be fine now – we can rope Ginny into doing things."

Blinking from the contact and being called 'love' by Fred, she nodded and went out to the backroom to go and flop on the couch.

It was infinitely quieter in the backroom once the door was closed and there were no potions bubbling and threatening to explode. Very nice, in fact.

And that wasn't because the pillow her nose was incidentally pressed into smelled exactly like Fred.

But that was an upside, of course.

Fred had, actually, been knocked unconscious, with his pulse slow and quiet. He had sat up and yawned and stretched, looking over at his gaping family and asking what was wrong, that they looked as if they had seen a ghost. George had tackled him and ordered him not to scare him like that ever again as he squeezed the breath out of him. Molly had quickly followed to do the same, followed by Ginny and the others, minus Harry and Hermione.

Fred had grinned up at them from the mass of his family. "What?" he asked, "I'm not worthy of hugs from _the_ Harry Potter and _the_ Hermione Granger?"

Harry had given a weary smile, while Hermione looked as if she was about to burst into tears. She finally did, startling the boys, aside from Arthur and Bill.

"I - I thought you were dead," she quietly sobbed, "And after all the times I yelled at you and George, and I felt horrid, and I actually did like a few of your jokes, you're both bloody brilliant and I – " She hiccupped as Fred stood up, pulling her gently into him and hugging her as softly as he could, as if he were afraid she'd break into pieces.

"It's alright, Hermione," he'd murmured to her, "I'm fine now, and we appreciate the sentiment, just not the tears. Please quit crying for me."

She'd rubbed at her eyes and muttered into his shirt, "I'm sorry. A lot has gone on."

He chuckled a little, weakly, as if the action were programmed into him, "I know. Believe me, I know."

She sighed as the ache subsided a little – not much, just a little. She shifted so she was on her side, her hand coming up to clutch the pillow. Her eyelids closed and she was pleased to find that they no longer hurt.

Verity had married in August, her wedding held at the church her parents had gotten married at. She'd begged for Hermione and Ginny both to be her maid of honor, and Fred and George to be the best man – her husband had let her pick everything out for the wedding. Guys are just weird like that.

"You look gorgeous, Verity," Verity's one bridesmaid, Amber, said as she flicked her own gold curl away from her face.

"Angelic," Verity's mother crooned.

"Hermione?" Verity turned to the girl, who was surveying her appearance carefully.

Instead of answering, Hermione reached over and fixed the shoulders of her dress, got a sheer white ribbon from off a nearby table, tied it around her hips and curling it around her bun. Studying her once more, Hermione finally smiled, "Perfect, Verity."

Verity squealed before jumping up and hugging her, "_This_ is why I need you. Everybody else would lie to me – you'd fix me! I _love_ you, Hermione!"

"Then why are you marrying Davy?" Fred asked from the doorway, an eyebrow arched and his head tilted.

Verity huffed and walked towards him, although smiling a little, "_You_ are not supposed to be here."

"But I am, so there," he grinned at her, "You look great though, Veri."

She wrinkled her nose at him at the horrid nickname, but instead waved a hand at Hermione and Amber, "Don't you think these two look marvelous though, Fred?"

Amber straightened herself and smirked a little at him, while Hermione turned her head and rolled her eyes at the other woman's actions. Fred saw this and grinned at her before finally looking her up and down.

Verity had chosen a royal blue to dress her bridesmaids in, but let them go crazy when it came to the styles of the dresses. Hermione had picked a dress with a skirt that flared a little at her waist and flowed to her knees, the bodice form-fitting and sleeveless. Her hair was a mess of curls pinned up to the crown of her head.

"Well," Fred smiled softly at Hermione, "Look at you…Feel like you're at the Yule Ball yet?" He turned to Amber, his regular attitude around women he'd failed to meet previously bubbling up, but not quite as if his heart was put into it, "And you look smashing as well."

"Funny you should mention Viktor Krum, Freddie," Verity grinned with the tip of her tongue peeking through her teeth, "I invited him and he came. He's looking for Herm-own-ninny right now."

Hermione gasped in delight as Fred look at Verity in shock and masked anger. "Viktor's here?" she asked, grinning at her, "I haven't seen him in ages!"

"Go for it, Love!" Verity called out, shooing her out of the room to turn to Fred and frown at him, "_Go for love._"

Fred was silent as he peeked out the doorway and watched as Hermione and Viktor hugged. He made a face and turned back to the bridal room, only to hear Ginny calling out an SOS for help with her dress.

Hermione shifted a little, letting out a tiny moan when the tension finally released its hold in her back. She frowned against the darkness of her eyelids as the shadows got darker. She peeked an eye open and saw Fred, kneeling down next to her, a hand outstretched to brush a wayward curl away from her nose. He blinked at her before smiling.

"Good morning," he said before the grin twitched up a little, "Or should I say good evening?"

"Hmm?" she questioned, blinking both eyes open now.

"You slept for two hours, its closing time," he smiled softly at her, finally getting rid of the curl.

"What?" she sat up a little, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You had a headache and you were expecting me to _wake you up_?" he blinked at her incredulously, "What, was the wall not enough for me or something?"

She frowned at his bringing up of his near-death experience, but he rolled his eyes at her. She frowned at him now, more studying him than anything else. He arched an eyebrow at her.

"What?" he asked.

"I've just been thinking," she bit her lip now, looking from the collar of his sweater to his eyes, "About you, actually."

"Oh really?" he smiled a little, letting her sit up enough so he could sit where her head had been, "Do tell."

"Well, I've just realized…you've been acting a little strange around me for quite a while, like when you woke up and at Verity's wedding and just today," she answered as the smile faded and she was left with Fred just sitting there and staring at her.

He was silent for a few moments, "So you know?"

"I think," she muttered back, dropping her gaze to the dark purple fabric of the couch.

"About bloody time," he growled before his lips were on hers.

Her headache, she found later that day, had disappeared from that point on. She wasn't sure if it was from the fact that Fred had finally kissed her and started their ensuing relationship.

But it was an upside, of course.

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><p><strong>Whoop! Okay, so that was a oneshot, let me know your thoughts and feelings – I'm even here if you want to complain about your day. 'Cause I'm so freaking <strong>_**nice**_**. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get up at five in the morning tomorrow morning.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	2. Pink and Green

**Alright, so I wasn't going to update this at all. But a reviewer (who goes by the awesome screen name of _Huff the Puff_) said that it would be cool if I turned it into some sort of drabble thing. **

**So I am. If I ever get stressed out and want to vent, I'll do it here in the form of Hermione or Fred. So thusly, the settings will all change and the timelines and whatnot. So it'll be a series of oneshots, you could say. Anyway – please read, hope you enjoy, and please remember that there will be cussing. And I don't want any crap about updating soon, y'here?**

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><p>"OUT!" the shout was heard from the Common Room, making the people turn and look towards the girl's staircase, where George Weasley jumped down in a single leap, his feet never touching a step with his arms flailing like wings, a huge grin on his face as Hermione Granger raced after him, in her pajama pants and a tank top, her curls flying behind her as she chased him.<p>

"Freddie!" George beamed before leaping towards his brother, hooking his arm around his neck and hiding a little from the fifteen year old witch, "You'll never _guess_ what I just learned about Granger!"

Fred, having just walked in the room and halfway to the wall, where Lee was waiting for him, glanced at Hermione, who was shifting from foot to foot and glaring at George, daring him to move as her wand was gripped tightly in her hand. He decided that playing along with his brother was much less important than suddenly becoming a very ugly female. "Err…what, Georgie?"

"George Weasley," she growled, glaring at him before he could speak, "If you even _dare_, I'll – "

"Oh, but Granger, it's such a lovely story," he grinned, "Why, there I was, looking for the fourth year dorms to wake up the darling little sister we share, and wouldn't you know it? I walked in the wrong room!"

"George," she growled lower, making him grin wider, "Shut up, right now, I mean it!"

"Oh alright, Granger," he sighed, pulling away from his confused twin and ignoring all the other confused people.

Hermione relaxed, having not seen the malicious glint in his eye, and sighed, "Thank you, George."

"Oh don't worry about it," he smirked, inching a little away from Fred as he glanced between the two, "I wouldn't tell Fred what color your bra is."

"_George!_" Hermione and Fred both yelled as she took a step to wave her wand at him, but was nearly knocked over when George pushed Fred into her. He tried to right them both, but Crookshanks darted in between his legs and caused them both to fall, Fred looming over Hermione as she cursed about her elbow. George stifled a laugh before leaning down to them as they tried to assess their injuries.

"Just like I wouldn't tell you that Fred's got a decent sized crush on you!" George told them before he dashed off up the boys' stairs.

"GEORGE!" Fred was suddenly on his feet, running after his twin as Lee cackled as quietly as he could at his table near the wall. Fred stopped at the bottom of the staircase, glaring at the door which had slammed shut and emitted a click. He grimaced and slowly turned around to face Hermione, who was frozen in gripping her elbow and staring at him. He was suddenly very aware that everybody was watching them.

"Do you _mind_?" he frowned, making them turn around and mumble to themselves. Lee had gotten a book and commenced to read it upside down, nodding his head and looking completely interested in it. Fred snorted and rolled his eyes.

Fred and Hermione stared at each other.

"My elbow hurts," she mumbled before grimacing at that.

"WHAT," Ginny yelled from the bottom of the staircase, glaring at everybody as her bedhead looked like a live, furry monster, "is WITH all the YELLING!"

Hermione fidgeted from her place on the floor, attempting to get up, only to find that her elbow was – in fact – completely useless except to create pain. She gasped and Ginny blinked, walking towards her and crouching down to her.

"What hurts?" the redhead said soothingly as she rubbed a circle into her unharmed shoulder.

"Elbow," she murmured, let a few tears trail down her cheeks, "Really, really bad, Ginny."

"Alright, Granger," Lee stood up from his table, "Let's get you to the Hospital Wing."

Hermione froze, "Nuh-uh."

"Hermione," Ginny frowned, straightening herself and putting her hands on her hips, "Your fear of the Hospital Wing is unnaturally frightening."

"I can't help it," she huffed, "_You_ try getting attacked by a giant snake thing and have the ability to move lost on you, and you black out and you're somewhere else and it's a different month and…"

She and Ginny stared at each other before the two grimaced.

"Let's not talk about it again, alright?" Ginny said.

"Agreed," she nodded as Fred dropped down to her hurt arm, taking out his wand and muttering a few spells. Once he stood up, she waited and tested her elbow out, standing up and looking away from Fred.

"Thanks," she muttered as Ginny observed the blush on her cheeks.

"Hey, Mione, why are you blushing?" she asked before gasping, her hands flying up to her mouth, "Oh no – did George tell Fred that huge crush you have on him?"

"_Ginny!_" she cried out as Fred snapped his attention to her.

"What? That wasn't it?" she blinked before turning to Lee, "I feel like I'm missing something."

"You're _missing_ one friend!" Hermione huffed, hands on her hips, "You don't go and tell things like that to the entire Gryffindor Common Room!"

"We already _knew_," Harry told her, making Ron emit a chuckle, "We were just waiting for you – _both_ of you – to realize that the other liked you."

"How long have we been waiting again, Harry?" Ron asked, scratching his chin in thought.

"Well, our third year for Hermione, and then Fred's sixth year," Harry hummed.

"Shut up, both of you, I mean it," Hermione glared, her wand out again.

"Aww, but Hermione," Ron grinned, leaning against the back of the couch, "We're only trying to help."

"Shut up, Ron," she reminded him.

"C'mon, Hermione – don't you wanna be happy? You can't possibly – " Harry didn't finish his statement, because Hermione had waved her wand and he didn't know what she did.

Fred let out a loud laugh at the sight of both Harry and Ron sporting different colored hair – lime green for Harry, and bright pink for Ron. Ginny chuckled before realized that her hair was purple.

"You know something, Granger," Fred said, grinning down at her before resting an arm across her shoulders, "I think we'll be alright."

She blushed before nodding her agreement, completely unknown to the fact that Fred's insides were churning in a pleasant way.

And that would be the story of how McGonagall got her weekly – if not daily – headaches.

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><p><strong>So, how was that for a Chapter 2? Review, give me some stressors in your life! (PS – my play's coming up! So excited, nervous, anxious, and kinda wanting to get it done!)<strong>

**Love, **

**Birdie**


	3. Cherries

**Because I love wearing shorts and my Slytherin hoodie, and I got Cella's chocolate covered cherries today. Oh my god, so good….**

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><p>Fred tugged the hoodie over his head, looking at his reflection and shrugging at his appearance. His Muggle jeans weren't tattered, as were his other two pairs (one had burns marks in some places), his hoodie was clean but wrinkled, and his hair was…about as good as it was going to get. He got his wand and with a crack left to reappear just inside the living room.<p>

Without a word, he made his way to the first bedroom on the left to the small hallway, which left to an office and a bathroom. He opened the door and smiled at the sleeping figure.

Hermione and Fred had grown closer during her nonexistent seventh year, despite the fact that she, Harry, and Ronnie had been on a mad dash all over the United Kingdom (although if you asked them where all they had been, they'd just stare at you blankly until somebody changed the subject.) Being Hogwarts dropouts and still very successful, the found that they had much more in common than anybody thought. They both loved Charms class, the color blue – although the shades varied – and they had a deep, _deep_ adoration for cherries. And, somehow, over three years, it had unconsciously been decided that Fred would always wake Hermione up on the weekends.

He crouched over her and buried his nose into the hair right above her ear, murmuring her name to her. She groaned and shifted so that she could see him, smiling a little.

"Mornin'," he grinned as he sat up and hopped off of her and sat at the side of the bed.

"G'mornin'," she replied sleepily, stretching her arms before sitting up and swinging her legs out of bed. She had on a Gryffindor sweater that Ginny had made her with the aid of her mum, the twins, and a few spells they had taught her, and shorts that disappeared underneath the baggy sweater that slipped off her shoulders. Fred sat back and watched as she padded barefoot to the kitchen, returning back with a red box.

She flicked her wand at the door, closing it and turning the lights out again. The rain dripped down off the awning and hit the balcony outside the glass doors, the sky and the other buildings looking grey and bleak. Her room was their favorite shades of blue – a light blue that was hers, and a darker blue that looked electrifying that was definitely her companion's. Crookshanks had slinked off the bed sometime during the night and had turned face up on the couch, snorting a few times through his squashed nose.

Fred grinned and flopped against the bed with her, watching as she opened up the box and took one of the chocolate covered cherries, leaving it open for him to pluck one.

"Mum would have a fit if she knew I was eating sweets for breakfast," Fred said as he bit into the candy, disposing of the juice inside before adding, "Again."

She giggled as she carefully bit off the top of the chocolate, tipping her head back against the mattress like the sweet juice was a shot. Fred laughed at her and she grinned before popping the shell and remaining cherry into her mouth.

"So," she began, flipping onto her stomach and facing him as she took another candy, "How's the lawsuit going?"

Fred groaned into the cherry. A month ago, he and George had been sued for not listing all the side effects on the box of a product. They had listed all of the side effects in person, but the other person and their lawyer were difficult. The judge had held off the next court date to find great points to the twins favor (as he was a regular customer) and the two were growing anxious. They usually did anything to keep their minds off of it, even setting random items into the fire and watching them burn to see how they reacted. "Quit reminding me. It's driving me crazy."

"I'm sure you'll win," she said, softly.

"But what if we _don't_?" he fretted, "We could lose _everything_ – the store, our work, the money…."

"Fred," she insisted, "Don't worry about it. If there's one thing you and George can do, it's convince anybody of anything. You could even convince somebody the sky is actually purple. I'd even bet you two could be lawyers if you really wanted to."

He snorted, "No thanks. I've read _To Kill A Mockingbird_, being a lawyer doesn't interest me."

She frowned, "That was in Alabama, in America, in the nineteen thirties. You do realize that not all Muggle lawyers have their children dress up like ham and get attacked by drunken trash, right?"

"That worried me, but seeing as I have no children I was worried more about the prejudice than attacking the ham."

She laughed, "I liked Scout."

"I liked Scout too. Reminded me of you."

She snorted, "Thank you. Dill reminded me so much of you."

"Scout and Dill get married," he said, watching her face carefully as she picked out another candy.

"I skipped over that chapter," she said, "I was in a hurry."

He sighed but let it go. He'd kept hinting at them as a couple, but either he was too subtle or she kept pushing it aside.

"How's the shop?" he asked.

She sighed. She, Ginny and Luna had gotten it in their heads to build up their own music store that doubled as a radio station. With three of them working, one could be running the station, one could be running the store, and one could have some time off. With Ginny on her honeymoon and Luna taking off to plan for her own wedding, Hermione was left to dash in between the station and the store some days when she was alone. Usually, one of the Weasleys wasn't too busy to help or she allowed herself to shut off the store for a moment. "Stressed."

"I bet."

"I wish I had somebody to help all the time," she sighed, closing her eyes and letting the chocolate melt against her warm lips. "It's hard by myself. I wish I had you like George does."

Hope sparked in Fred's stomach, but he squelched it quickly.

Fred was being irritable, she decided as she finally bit into her chocolate. She loved him so much, but he just couldn't see past things. She'd quickly added 'like George does' because she'd been afraid, she'd even rushed over it. Wouldn't he notice something was off? No. Because he never did.

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><p>Fred hummed to her as he traced designs into her back, her head over his heart as her eyes fluttered, wanting to stay awake but also wanting to fall asleep.<p>

"Fred?" she murmured, making him pause in his humming and make a questioning new hum. "Do you think a girl can ask a guy out?"

His heart plummeted and he closed his eyes before answering, "Yes, I think a girl can ask a guy out. Do you think a guy can ask a close friend out?"

"So long as that friend is a girl, then yes," she chuckled with him as they lapsed back into silence.

A few more moments before they both said, "Do you want to go out sometime?" They then looked and blinked at each other before laughing, hugging each other before they soon tasted cherry juice on the other's lips.

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><p><strong>That wasn't so much a "Headaches" moment as a "Fluffy cherry chocolate rainy pajama" moment. Merlin, first the emus, now cherries. Just what the heck? Anyway, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza, or any other holiday you celebrate this time of year. Oh, and I'm saying Happy Birthday to myself already! (December 31, woohoo! :D)<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	4. Tears

**Whenever I cry, I get massive headaches afterwards. And I want more fluffy goodness. *throws cotton balls into the air* Yaaaay fluff! :D**

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><p>The flames in the fire were flickering, finally dying out and getting smaller and smaller, letting the bedroom get darker and darker. The small form curled in the bed was sleeping peacefully, for the first time in quite some time. The blinds showed that it was finally dark outside, as Harry had closed them during the day after he and Ron had given her the Dreamless Sleep Potion. Tear tracks were on her face from when she'd been crying before, but were long since dry now.<p>

She yelped and clutched her wand as she heard the frantic shouts of "HERMIONE!" She flung back the covers and ran down the spiral staircase to her living room, running down the hall to where George Weasley was yelling her name.

"George, what is it?" she panted, all serious as he took in her Aerosmith t-shirt and a ratty old pair of jeans.

"You need to come with me," he said, already tugging her into the fire.

"George, wait my shoes – " she began, but was tugged into the emerald green flames with him anyway.

She ended up in Madame Pomfrey's office, her wrist clasped in George's hand as he ran them down the halls of Hogwarts.

"George, what is it?" she asked again as they climbed up the staircase, stopping only when it began to move.

"I need somebody else to see it too," he said, hardly taking his eyes off of the path ahead of him, "And you're the only sane one I know."

"George, what's going on?" she asked frantically.

"I've been helping Pomfrey with all of the – " he faltered, "And, anyway, I found something – and you just have to see it."

"Helping Pomfrey with what? What did you find? George? George, is it a Deatheater?"

He laughed; a strange sound from him that she hadn't heard in a few days, ever since he lost Fred. "No, it's not a Deatheater. Just come on – I might've had a flight of insanity and it might not come back."

"What?" she blinked as he shoved her into the Gryffindor Common Room, hardly using a password. She righted herself and shifted the hair out of her eyes, freezing and gasping at the sight before her.

He stood up out of the chair, taking a few steps towards her. His hair was messed up and looked like it had been scorched, a few black marks on his face and clothes. He had on a crumpled white dress shirt and jeans, looking at her earnestly.

"Hermione," Fred said, "Hermione, it's me."

"What?" she finally breathed, turning to George, "George?"

George held out his hands to her pleadingly, "I was helping Pomfrey do medical reports on some people who died during the war. She checked Fred again a – and brought him back somehow."

"The wall didn't crash completely over me," Fred whispered and took another step towards Hermione as she covered her mouth with her hands, tears welling up. "It only knocked me out. I'm fine – I'm here. Look at me, Hermione." He held his arms out to her, and took yet another step towards her.

She took a shuddering breath and removed a hand from her mouth, reaching a hand out to touch the side of his face. He wouldn't let his eyes leave hers – blue and brown locking together. She snapped the hand back as tears came faster, hiding her mouth again as she broke down. He stepped up and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face into her hair as she cried into him.

"Y – you're alright," she sobbed, "You're here, you're actually _here_."

"Yeah, I am," he murmured to her, looking up at George to find that he was grinning. "I'm not leaving you again."

"So," George interrupted, "Are you going to tell Ronniekins that Hermione belongs to you?"

"He – he already kno – ows," Hermione hiccupped, "W – we talked about it w-when we got the ba-basilisk fangs. H-he said 'I know about you and Fred. And I'm okay with it. I just wish y-you two didn't have to go through a-all of this.'"

"No more pranks on Ron for a month then," Fred said softly, looking up again and finding that George now looked sad. "Now what's wrong with you?"

"I just…" he looked from him to Hermione, "You guys almost lost everything just because of one stupid person. And I almost lost my twin – hell, I thought I _did_, Fred. Hermione – look at her now, and that's her getting a hold of herself."

"Hey," she sniffed and turned to frown at him, "I thought I was holding up fine."

"Yeah, but for one of two people who knew what you were going through, I could tell you were beating yourself up on the inside. Who do you think helped Ron with the potion?"

"You made her a potion?" Fred blinked as Hermione scowled.

"Well it certainly wasn't Ginny," George rolled his eyes before stopping and suddenly launching himself at the two, wrapping Hermione in on one side and getting Fred in a headlock on the other, "_Merlin_, I missed being able to do this."

"Believe it or not," Fred muffled into his side, "So did I." He then reached up and yanked George down with him, laughing at his glare as Hermione smiled at them.

She suddenly gasped, her eyes wide, "George, don't we need to tell -?"

"Oh my Merlin!" he suddenly dropped Fred, "We forgot to tell Mum!"

"Ahh!" Fred screamed, "We're dead!" He grabbed Hermione's wrist and began to run with her and George down the halls to Madame Pomfrey's office.

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><p>Fred squeezed his mother very tightly again as she sobbed into his shoulder, saying that she was so glad to have him back and that she loved him and had missed him. Ginny was curled into Harry and controlling herself, and Charlie and Bill were coming back in from outside from blubbering like babies. Percy had been the most shaken and had apologized profusely for nothing. Fred had just been proud he'd made a joke. Ron was grinning like a nutter and hugging Hermione, rocking them back and forth and whispering things that made her smack him on the shoulder – he looked quite delighted when she did this. Fred knew it was nothing to worry about – Ron was interested in somebody else, and had apparently known about the two ever since she and Ron had talked about it one night in the tent when Harry was gone, as her sleep-deprived mind had made a very small slip that he'd noticed.<p>

"Mum," Fred pulled back and looked down at her, "I missed you too. I missed everybody. Buuuuut – "

Her eyes were already narrowed in suspicion, "But what?"

"I might've missed somebody a little bit more than the rest of you lot," he said.

She just blinked at him.

"Even more than George."

She blinked a few times at this.

"It's a girl, Mum."

"Oh, Freddie!" she beamed and threw her arms around his neck again, "You're back, I get both my boys back, _and_ there's a girl? When do I get to meet her?"

"Well," he pulled back again, glancing at George to see that he'd transferred the nod from Hermione back to him. "You kind of already have."

She gaped at him as she went through the list of names in her head. George, Ron and Hermione all grinned as the rest of the family thought it through.

"Angelina?" Ginny suggested.

"Nope," Fred smirked and rocked back on his heels, "Not Angelina."

"Alicia?" Percy thought.

"Nah," Fred chuckled and shook his head.

"Katie Bell?" Harry hummed, eyebrows raised.

"No," he scoffed.

"Oh for Merlin's sake – it's _HERMIONE!_" Ron bellowed, silencing everybody and giving George, Hermione and Fred angry expressions.

"Ron, you _ruined_ the _surprise_!" Hermione huffed.

"Hermione?" Molly blinked as Arthur readjusted his glasses, "Hermione Granger?"

"Is there any other Hermione that you know?" George asked.

"Well," Arthur grinned, "Pleasant surprise!"

"How come you never told me?" Harry got into her face and huffed, fogging his glasses, "_Me?_ Why did I never know?"

"I don't know – maybe because if you stopped for a second to think of something other than Voldemort, you would've died?" she asked.

"Or maybe because all you thought about was Voldemort?" Ron suggested with a smug little grin.

"YOU!" Harry pointed a finger at his friend, "YOU _KNEW!_"

"Harry, calm down," Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Honestly," Fred shook his head as he walked over to Hermione, tugging her to his side by her hip, "I thought they'd act better if they knew we'd just gotten engaged."

"_Engaged_?" the whole room seemed to echo, including George and Ron.

"Err – " Hermione fidgeted, "It might've happened while we were fighting off some Deatheater – what was his name?"

"I dunno," Fred shrugged. "Dalius Something. After he ran off, I asked her to marry me. She said yes. You all thought I died when I really didn't. And now we're all caught up."

There was a loud thump as Harry plummeted to the ground, an arm tossed over his eyes.

"Ooh, poor thing," Arthur tsked as he shook his head, "He's handled too much on so little sleep. Ron, drag Harry up to bed?"

"Why do I always have to drag unconscious people up to bed after they find out that their best friend and my brother are an item and then are engaged?" Ron grumbled before dragging Harry up the stairs by his ankles.

They were left with the silence of everybody staring at Hermione and Fred, gaping and trying to form words. Hermione, still fidgeting, sheepishly grinned and threw her arms out, "Surprise!" Fred chuckled as she blushed and hid behind him a little. He reached and kissed her forehead with a grin, making her hide her face from even him.

But she smiled when an arm tightened around her waist. Fred was there with her. And that's all that really mattered.

* * *

><p><strong>We had so much angst in the last few chapters. I wanted humor and LOVE. And I like the Ron I created in this chapter – he's nice and smart and totally cool with Hermione dating his brother. That's the Ron I can at the very least tolerate. Oh, but I love the Redvine Ron. And AVPS Lupin. Nyyyyyaaaaahhh. *drools a bit*<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	5. Salted Water

**Dear Merlin, my feet are _cold._ Nyaaaahhhhh. Buffy, come sit on my feet! Please!**

* * *

><p>Hermione was leaning against the trunk of her favorite tree at the Burrow, a book in her lap as she watched the sky for her friends. Ginny and Harry were laughing at Ron as he swatted at Fred and George was a tree limb. The other two were laughing at him as he flipped upside down.<p>

"Avast! Hark! Yarrrgh!" he bellowed.

"Ron, that doesn't sound very pirate-y," Ginny scoffed.

Ron paused and looked down at Hermione, was looked very amused at them, "Hermione, what do pirates sound like?"

"Pirates," she answered, making him scowl at her.

"Dinner!" Mrs. Weasley intervened before Ron could argue with her. Everybody seemed to gasp and land their brooms to rush into the house. Hermione, having already eaten at home before she got there, stood up and stretched out her shoulders. She was about to climb up the tree to read on the limb, but stopped when she noticed that there were about five perfectly good brooms lying on the ground.

She sat the book down, and with a quick glance at the house, strode over to one and picked it up.

* * *

><p>"Fred, George, go back and pick up the brooms and equipment," Molly frowned, "We spent too much money for them to lie out there and get ruined."<p>

Fred and George sighed, sitting up from the table and going out the back door, hearing their mother shout, "And get Hermione too! Merlin knows she needs to eat more!" Fred snorted once he was out of her earshot and walked down with George to the field where they'd abandoned their brooms. Fred froze once he noticed that there was one missing, a Bludger and a bat gone as well.

George noticed too as he scratched his head and furrowed his brow, "What the…?"

Fred squinted out over the woods as a figure beat a Bludger back to them, zooming out after it. He gaped once he recognized the curls on top of the recognizable figure, who was grinning madly and already diving down to hit the Bludger directly up in the air. She laughed when the Bludger zoomed into its box, signaling its defeat. She froze and gasped at the two identical redheads gaping up at her.

She landed quickly and walked towards them warily, broom in hand, "I can explain."

"You're darn right you're going to explain!" George practically shrieked, making Fred and Hermione blink at him, "Who do you think you are, lying to us about being terrified of heights and not being able to fly and _YOU –_ little Miss 'Quidditch is Stupid'!"

Hermione clutched the broom closer to her face, wincing, "Well, I – I learned in my second year. Oliver Wood was nice enough to teach me and keep it a secret, since – "

"Since _what_?" his eye practically twitched.

"I hate it when you guys automatically exclude me from everything," she looked to the ground, "I mean, Harry and Ron probably wouldn't talk to me if they thought I wasn't some brainy – some nerdy – if they just knew, they might actually have to talk to me, and Merlin forbid Ron actually have a conversation with me. And Ginny and you two. I love all three of you, but you just…let's face it, I probably wouldn't _be_ here if it weren't for your mother. I probably wouldn't have any friends. So I thought – if something happened and I was left alone – I might have something to be a point in a friendship." She looked at the broom in her hands, and the bat she'd dropped by her foot.

Fred immediately felt guilty. He hadn't really talked to her, thinking that Ron or Ginny or Harry were talking her leg off. But Ginny was so strung up on Harry, and Harry and Ron were too busy with each other. She really was alone in a room full of people.

George faltered, but continued in his rant, "Then bloody say something! I mean – it's just – don't - !"

"Ignore him, Hermione," Fred said with a soft smile, "George is just mad that you used his broom."

"YES I AM!" he bellowed.

She looked up at him and then down at the broom in her hand, "This is Ron's."

"Oh, alright then," George beamed at her before leaning in closer and putting a hand to his chin, "Tell me, can you only play beater or - ?"

"Well, Oliver said that I was pretty much covered in each one, but I needed to practice on Seeking and Keeping. Beating and Chasing are fine for right now."

"Why don't you join the Quidditch team?" Fred asked, "Ron's too rubbish to play in front of people, and it'll be a while before Ginny can play. It's a lot of fun and you keep getting better at it."

She bit her lip and he reached forward and took the broom out of her hand, "C'mon. You were great. You can make it, then show off your superb skills to Ron. Better yet – rub his face in it. Scream 'ha!' in his face! Actually, I can do it for you if you want. I love pissing off Ron."

She laughed as George walked around and picked up the equipment, coming back with it bundled in his arms, "Okay, let's not tell anybody else until she gets on the team. And then we can all be smug about knowing. I love being smug."

Hermione laughed and took a few of the things from his arms, helping him put up the things.

* * *

><p>Fred beamed and gave Hermione a thumbs up while Oliver wasn't looking, as he was pacing in front of the line of people trying out for the team. Harry was still looking at Hermione oddly, as if she'd grown an extra head, but she paid him no mind.<p>

"You all tried out very well," Oliver finally spoke, "But, sadly, only a few of you get to play on the team. For our Keeper, it's Katie Bell."

Katie gave a squeal and jumped up, beaming like crazy.

"For our two new Chasers, it's Alicia Spinnet – " Oliver paused to let Alicia hiss and pump her fist, smiling as she grinned back at him, "And – " He paused again, smirking when everybody else started fidgeting, "Hermione Granger!"

"Yeah!" Harry yelped out before shrinking back behind George.

Fred looked to George when Oliver turned to glare at whoever had done that, "Wow, Forge, I didn't know you could imitate Harry so well!"

George just shrugged for a response as Hermione giggled behind her hand, the rest of the hopeful Quidditch players slumping off.

"Hermione, I thought you didn't like Quidditch," Harry said once everybody was nearly gone and Oliver was distracted by congratulating Alicia.

"I never said that," Hermione frowned at him, "Honestly, Harry, do you ever pay attention to me?"

Harry flushed and opened his mouth to lie when Fred stepped up and threw an arm over her shoulders, "_We_ pay attention to you, don't we, Forge? Forge?" Fred looked around and saw that George had left to go talk to Angelina. He sighed and smacked himself on the forehead, "Bloody prick. Ah well – how's about some butterbeer?"

Hermione blinked, as did Harry, "Where are you going to get butterbeer?"

He smirked at her, "Remember who you're talking to, Love, it'll save you some time in the future."

* * *

><p>"Harry, if you're alive, move a little," George hissed to him, "Just a smidgeon."<p>

"Or a twitch," Fred whispered on his other side.

"Anything really," they finished together.

"Honestly – the boy is just _built_ for getting himself in trouble," Hermione sighed as Harry began to open his eyes, "And now he's going to try to deny that, but we all know it's true. Good morning, Harry."

"Er – " he shifted as he sat up, finding the Gryffindor Quidditch team and Ron staring back at him, "Hi."

"How do you feel?" Katie asked.

"Fine. When is it?"

"When's what?" George asked.

"The rematch. When is it?"

Everybody winced and looked between each other as Ron shuffled forward, "There isn't a rematch. Hufflepuff won. Diggory didn't know you'd fallen and he caught the Snitch. He wanted a rematch, but he'd won."

Harry groaned and slumped back against the pillows, rubbing his eyes underneath his glasses, "Where's Wood?"

"Oh, he's still in the showers," Fred answered, "We think he's trying to drown himself."

Harry only seemed to despair even more, leaving everybody else to try to cheer him up and then bring him back down with the news of his broom before Pomfrey shooed them away.

* * *

><p>Fred grinned down at her, running a hand through his hair in his secret nervous action. Hermione arched an eyebrow up at him and began to smile back, but for what she didn't know.<p>

"Fred?" she reminded him, "You wanted to ask me something?"

He blinked, "Oh, right." He'd been like this for days around her, ever since Dumbledore had announced the Yule Ball and McGonagall had forced Ron to dance with her. He'd stare at her for the longest time, apparently getting off track of whatever he was doing. Wood would've killed them if he'd still been at school, but Angelina just glared at him until she pulled him aside after one practice and told him to bloody ask Hermione out already, or she'd break his nose. "Err – d'you have a date for the Yule Ball?"

She sighed, looking sad and muttering out, "Yes."

He blinked and practically felt his heart stop beating, "Y-yes?"

"Ugh," she groaned, "I don't know why I said yes to him though."

"Don't you – don't you want to go with him?" his hand slipped down to rub the back of his neck.

"Well – not really," she looked over to the ground, frowning, "I'd wanted to go with someone else, but he hadn't asked me, and then me and my date had a little bribe. I'd go with him to the Yule Ball and he'd leave me the bloody hell alone."

"Sounds like love," he said bitterly.

She snorted, looking up at him and grinning, "I know, right? I'm practically Cinderella, hm?"

"Who?" he furrowed his eyebrows at her.

She laughed and began to walk with him, explaining to him the story her mother had told her countless of times.

* * *

><p>Fred set himself down next to the sobbing girl on the staircase, her heels toppled over on the next step down. He looked sadly at her as she cried into the heels of her palms, her fingers gripping at the bangs that had slipped out of her up-do.<p>

"Hermione," he began, taking a lock of her hair and putting it behind her ear, "Please don't cry."

"I – I'm just ki-kidding myself," she told him through her tears, "No – nobody e-even likes me, I – I only went on a da – date with a guy to – to get him to le – leave me _alone_ a – and then Ron goes a – and says all these ha – hateful thi – things a – and now I look like one of the stepsisters!"

"No, you don't," he said, picking up her legs to swing them over his lap, picking her up by her waist to hold her, "You're still gorgeous."

"Liar," she muffled into his neck, gripping his shirt and hiding herself against him.

He ran a hand through her hair, taking out bobby-pins as he did, "No, I mean it. You looked beautiful before you started crying, and you're beautiful now."

She took deep breaths against him, picking her head up to lay it against his shoulder, looking up at him as he twisted to face her, "I still think you're lying."

"Well, you can think that all you want," he pecked her forehead, "I know I'm right."

She gave a small chuckle, reaching her hand up to the back of his neck to lean her forehead against it, an awkward hug of sorts, "Thanks, Fred."

"Anytime," he said as he hugged her back.

* * *

><p>"She got <em>detention<em>?" Fred practically hissed to Harry, "For _what_?"

"For speaking out," Harry said, looking sorrowfully up at them, "She talked back to Umbridge."

"Oh Merlin, Hermione, why?" Fred groaned to the ceiling, his fingers raking through his hair. He and George had just gotten back from working on a few experiments in their own little secret part of the castle, one that Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs hadn't found. As it was nearly one in the morning and Harry was sitting on the couch with a bowl of murtlap essence, Fred guessed something was wrong.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped as she opened the door, accidentally hitting her newly damaged hand against the doorframe. Tears had streamed down her face on her walk back from detention, and Harry was already walked towards her to dip the rag in the bowl and rub it over the scars. She hissed when he touched it to her knuckles, and gave out a soft cry once he put her whole hand in.

"I'm sorry this had to happen to you, Granger," George whispered, "We'll figure out something for the ol' toad in the morning. But I _have_ to go to bed." He gave a load yawn and trumped up the stairs as Harry had her sit on the couch.

"What does it say?" Fred asked as he sat on the table in front of them, watching as the blood began to mix with the murtlap.

"_I must not speak out_," Hermione hissed as she glared darkly at her appendage, "Well I've got news for that – that _bitch_ – I am going to _shout_ and _yell_ and cause all the noise I want to. Because I am _Hermione fucking Granger._"

Fred grinned at her as Harry rolled his eyes, "And that's why I'm proud of you."

"What?" she blinked at him.

"_Granger_," he began as he stood up, "You just got _detention._ You just called a teacher a bitch. You just said the universally recognized 'f-word.' You're defying and rebelling against what you're told to do."

Harry hummed before grinning, "He's right. I guess I should be proud of you too."

"You _guess_?" she repeated with a frown.

"Err – no. One hundred percent certain. No guessing at all," he shook his hands at her, leaning away a bit. She laughed with Fred at Harry, making him smile slightly at her.

* * *

><p>Fred looked around, beaming at all of the colors and noises he and George had created. George was whooping and pumping his fist in the air before he released a handful of firecrackers, sparks showering down at a flailing Umbridge. He turned at the sound of a laugh, finding Hermione looking up at him and beaming before she laughed at the dragon shaped firework going after Umbridge.<p>

He swooped down and landed in front of her, grinning like mad. "Like 'em?" he shouted over the noise.

"Love 'em!" she shouted back before all noise suddenly stopped, and the attention was turned to Umbridge, who was standing there amidst all the noise-less fireworks and glaring at the two redheads.

"That is another strike, Mister Weasleys," she said, glaring at them, "You are hereby expelled from Hog – "

"Wait!" Hermione interrupted, "They didn't do it! I did!"

"_What?_" the Great Hall seemed to say all together, even Umbridge was gaping at her.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"I planned everything out and would've done it myself if they hadn't decided to do it instead," she said, stepping away from Fred and towards her, "I did it."

"No, she didn't!" Fred shouted back, "We did!"

"Yeah!" George agreed as he swooped down next to his twin.

"No – _I_ did it," Hermione glared back at them before turning to her, "The Catherine wheels were made with Incendio and phoenix feathers. The dragon that chased you? Very complex stuff – stuff they don't teach at Hogwarts. Where would they have gotten it?"

Umbridge stared at her before she marched herself up next to her, "You, Miss Granger, are _expelled_ from Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Gladly," Hermione whispered with tears welling up in her eyes, "But this is hardly Hogwarts, ever since _you_ came here you slimy, toad-ish _bitch!_"

Umbridge raised her arm to slap her and Hermione got ready for the blow, but it never came. She opened her eyes and looked up at McGonagall, who was holding her wrist and glaring darkly at her.

"You are not allowed to punish students in this way, Dolores," she said.

She yanked her hand back, "This child is no longer a student, Minerva."

"Then you are not allowed to punish children in this way," she said before reaching for Hermione's hand and showing her the scars, "And definitely not in _this_ way. Don't think you won't be hearing from somebody very soon about this. Miss Granger, I'm sorry to say that you are suspended – "

"Expelled," Umbridge interrupted.

" – _Suspended_ from Hogwarts for _only a short time_," McGonagall practically hissed before turning back to Hermione, "You must pack tonight, and tomorrow morning we'll send you through the Floo." As Umbridge 'harrumph'ed and marched away, she leaned down and whispered, "Don't worry, we won't tell your parents. It's for such a short time – we'll make arrangements with Molly Weasley."

Hermione smiled gratefully at her as she was led away to the Gryffindor tower, looking back at Fred and George and give a small shrug and a little smile as they stood there and gaped at her. A firework then decided to make a scream sound that soon faded into nothing.

* * *

><p>Fred hopped off the train, already searching around the platform as he left George to say 'good-bye' to Angelina. He jogged a couple of steps away from the train so the others would have more room to get away. He looked over the heads and grinned when he found Hermione talking to Molly and Arthur, both looking interested in what she was saying.<p>

"And then I got a letter from Hogwarts," she said a little sadly, "They said I really _was_ expelled, but McGonagall sent a letter after that that said she'd come over on weekends and teach me a lot of the subjects. And my parents are getting a divorce, something to do with one of them not believing that I'm a witch and thinking the other was crazy."

"Oh, you poor dear," Molly said before touching her arm gently, "You're always welcome at our home – no, you are staying here. I'll write your parents tomorrow morning."

Hermione smiled at her, "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley." Molly smiled back before Hermione was picked up and spun around, leaving her to look and find that Fred had picked her up with a massive smile on his face.

"Hermione!" he grinned, "Our wonderful little witch! How've you been?"

"Fine," she laughed, "Fred, put me down."

He did as he was asked before stepping to his mum and giving her a hug. George was next to pick Hermione up and whirl her around, having her huff as she landed on her feet. Harry and Ron were next to run up to her, a black dog jumping up on her legs and nearly knocking her down.

"Hermione!" Harry was beaming, "How've you been?"

"Fine – and you?" she arched an eyebrow at him. Harry had Floo'd her in the middle of the night to tell her that he thought Sirius was being killed by Voldemort. Hermione told Harry to think through everything. Sirius wasn't allowed to leave Grimmauld Place, Voldemort couldn't get in, and Sirius was more than capable of holding off Voldemort when a one-year-old had defeated him. Still, she'd told Molly about it, who had been up knitting things and alerted Hermione about the Floo, and she'd gone and sent a Patronus to Sirius and another to Dumbledore. Sirius had been hiding away in the attic and had no idea what the Patronus was about, so had Floo'd to the Weasleys to tell Harry that he was fine. It had been a very long night for everybody involved – including Fred and George who had practically shoved Harry into the fire to talk to Hermione.

"Fine," he nodded and looked back at Snuffles, who jumped up on his back legs and put his front paws on her shoulders. She laughed and stepped away from him, smiling at him as he barked his thanks.

"So…" Ron rocked back and forth on his heels, "When can Harry come home with us?"

Molly snorted and began to walk, leading the group to the barrier, "Arthur went and talked to the Dursleys last night. Harry can stay with us until next year."

"And Hermione?" Ron asked, making Molly, Arthur and Hermione stop.

Hermione turned and smiled up at her friend, "I really am expelled from Hogwarts, Ron."

"No, you're not," Harry frowned, "McGonagall said you were only suspended."

"In Hogwarts, if a headmaster or headmistress says that a student is expelled, they _are_ expelled," she blinked back a few tears, "McGonagall still believed that Dumbledore was the rightful headmaster, but Hogwarts disagreed. She's going to be bringing me things every week and teaching me, and she's going to get a permit for me from the Ministry to practice magic outside of Hogwarts before I'm seventeen."

Everybody seemed to freeze before Ginny practically tackled her, "Oh, Hermione!"

"Honestly, I'm completely fine about it," she said with a shaky laugh as she gently pushed Ginny off of her, "I mean, I won't really have a diploma or anything, but whatever. Who cares, y'know?"

"You do," Harry said softly.

She sighed, "I know."

* * *

><p>"Granger!" George practically hissed at her once he, she and Fred were alone, "What were you <em>thinking<em>?"

"We _wanted_ to get expelled!" Fred frowned at her.

"I know – but can you imagine what your mother would've done to you?" Hermione asked calmly, "And besides – you two and Harry took care of Umbridge just fine, from what I heard."

George began to grin at the memory of Umbridge screeching as she was surrendered by Grawp to the horde of angry centaurs, but Fred remained the same.

"Hermione, Hogwarts meant so much to you," Fred said, "We were in our seventh year, we're the Weasley twins – you're Hermione Granger! You weren't supposed to get expelled, we were!"

"I know – but I couldn't let that happen to you two," she said with a small smile before she left, leaving the two standing there.

* * *

><p>Hermione bit her lip before looking over at Fred, who was glaring down at the tabletop as he thought. George was leaned back in the chair next to him, staring up at the ceiling as he thought.<p>

"How the bloody hell," Fred began as he looked across the kitchen table to Dumbledore, "Are we supposed to break into Bellatrix Lestrange's vault?"

"With careful planning," he answered, "I have already destroyed the ring and the diary. You are left to discover, find and destroy the remaining horcruxes."

"This is mad," George muttered, "Very mad."

"What if…" Hermione trailed off, standing up and going around the twins to look through a series of cookbooks and potions books on a shelf in the kitchen, "We make a charm or a potion or a spell that fogs all of the workers at Gringotts so that we can get in?"

"That could work," Fred hummed, "Like the daydream charm, but more for the area. But how do we not get it?"

"Drink a potion that heightens our senses before hand and then cast it," George said, "but we better take more of the heightening potion, because we don't want to get all fogged over right in the middle of it."

Dumbledore smiled and nodded and rose from his chair, "I'll leave you to it then. Good luck, Mister Weasleys and Miss Granger."

* * *

><p>Hermione panted as they slammed the door to the kitchen, a cup in her grasp, George leaning against the door with her as Fred and Molly stepped in.<p>

"You get – the locket?" George asked as he attempted to get control of his breathing.

"Yeah – what happened to you two?" Fred asked, looking between his brother and Hermione worriedly.

"The cup was enchanted to multiply whenever somebody touched it," Hermione huffed, "We just barely got out, then rode away on a dazed blind albino dragon."

"Sounds lovely," he gave a shaky laugh as Molly began to fret over the two.

"Now, let's see," George said as they sat down at the table once Molly had deemed that they were okay, "We've got the cup, the locket, the ring, and the diary."

"This can't be it," Fred muttered, staring down at the locket, "This is insane. Just four things…something of his, something of his family's, a Slytherin thing, a Hufflepuff thing…."

"Hogwarts was his home," Hermione mumbled, "So that must mean that there's a Ravenclaw thing…I doubt he'd do something Gryffindor, so maybe…I don't know. But that just leaves five things."

"There's nothing with five," George huffed, "Four was luck – four leaved clover, that kind of thing. Three would've been fine."

"Well what's the next 'powerful' number then?" Fred asked as he put his chin on the table.

"Seven," Hermione answered before freezing and groaning, "Oh come on!"

"Oh, great," George sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes, "Let's try to figure out what the next three are."

"Something with Ravenclaw…" Fred frowned before looking between Hermione and his mother, "Got anything?"

"Well, there's Ravenclaw's lost diadem," Molly answered thoughtfully, "But it's, well, you know, lost."

"Maybe not," Hermione hummed, "I once had a pack of sugar quills and I was looking for a place to hide them because I was getting ready to go home for Christmas. The Room of Requirement opened up and I chucked them in there. I only remembered them the week after I was kicked out of Hogwarts and was craving one. There was whole mess of things in there, like brooms and desks and all sorts of things. Maybe it's in there."

"Yeah, but how are we going to get in?" George stressed, "We're graduated, you're expelled. The castle won't let us in."

"You know," Molly pursed her lips, "You could get an interview with Dumbledore for a teaching job."

The three brightened and looked between each other before grinning at her.

* * *

><p>"I'm afraid that you three are unfit for teaching positions," Dumbledore said after asking them what their favorite color and food was, "I'm dreadfully sorry. Please feel free to wander about the school and wallow in self-criticism."<p>

"Yes, sir!" they grinned before jumping up and bolting out of his office, heading straight to the seventh floor and running around to get the door to open. It soon did, when they were worn out and exhausted from running everywhere.

"Finally," George groaned as they walked through. Hermione looked around at all the clutter and considerably brightened.

"Hey, my sugar quills!" she beamed as she dove for them, getting one out and sticking it in her mouth. She held the package open for them, "Want some?"

Fred chuckled and took one, looking around as George eyed them warily. "Alright – let's figure out what this diadem thing looks like."

"Well, according to Hogwarts: A History," Hermione tapped the quill with her tongue, "It's like a crown."

"Okay. Let's find the crown."

"Why don't they just call it a crown?" George asked.

"It doesn't sound as smart as 'diadem'?" she shrugged.

They spent hours searching through everything, finally stumbling upon it as George triumphantly presented it in the air.

"Way to go, Georgie!" Fred grinned before frowning, "Now how do we kill all of these? Better yet – how do we find the others?"

Hermione hummed as she though before jumping up, "Oh! Oh! Basilisk, basilisk!"

"Okay, yeah, but Harry already killed that," George looked at her as if she was crazy.

"No – basilisk venom! It can destroy _anything!_ I bet you a Galleon that there are still some fangs in the Chamber of Secrets! C'mon!" She dashed out of the room, leaving them to run after her as they rained down the stairs. As she was turning the corner, she ran into somebody and promptly fell on her bum.

"Ouch," she hissed as she looked up, blinking, "Malfoy?"

"Granger?" he blinked back, "Aren't you still expelled?"

Hermione stood up and surveyed his appearance. He was pale and looked like he hadn't slept for days. In fact, he looked like he just wanted to be left alone. "Perhaps I am. Look, maybe you could help us with something."

"Why would I want to do that?" he snapped.

"Because you hate him just as much as we do and you know it," she said as Fred and George slowly walked down the stairs towards them, as if Draco would freak and run if they made too much noise, "And you know that everything would be so much safer without him around."

Draco studied her before frowning, "Why would I ever help you? It's not like I'd ever tell you there are exactly seven Horcruxes, nor would I ever tell you that it's his old diary, a ring, some locket, a Hufflepuff cup, the lost diadem of Ravenclaw and his pet snake, along with something else that I don't know. Actually, I would never even bring it up. In _fact_ – you never even saw me."

"Thanks, Malfoy," she smiled before she darted past him, leaving the twins to scramble after her.

* * *

><p>"Hsssccchhhaaaa," George hissed as he leaned against the wall, staring at the faucet in Myrtle's bathroom, "Sssssss- Snape….Snape…Severus Snape – Dumbledore! Snape, Snape, Severus Snape – Dumbledore! Ron…Ron…Ron Weasley! Ron, Ron, Ron Weasley! Hermione! Hermione! Hermione, Hermione! Harry Potter, Harry Potter ooh! Harry – " he blinked as Hermione and Fred looked at him, eyes wide to make him blush and cough, "Erm…it's this skit I made up back in third year…It's called 'the Mysterious Ticking Noise.' You all blow up Hogwarts with a pipe bomb at the end. Don't judge."<p>

Hermione snorted back a laugh as Fred rolled his eyes, "Well, boys, another try before we go drag Harry up here by his ankles?"

"Agreed," they chorused. Hermione frowned at the faucet as she thought before somebody else hissed for them. She blinked as the mirrors split apart and one sunk into the floor.

"Great! Who did that?" she asked, looking between the two confused twins.

"You're welcome, Granger!" Malfoy yelled from down the hall.

"What's with him being helpful all of a sudden?" George mumbled as Hermione looked down into the darkness below her.

"Err…somebody push me," she said, "I won't be able to go in on my own."

"After you!" George said gleefully as he shoved his hands against her back, making her wobble and scream as she fell. Fred turned and frowned at him before shoving him in head first. Fred then pinched his nose and jumped down after them, landing on top of his brother as Hermione stood and lit her wand. She stifled a gasp and closed her eyes to get a hold of herself as the boys squabbled.

* * *

><p>"Dead," Fred beamed as he pointed at the diary, "Dead." The Locket now. "Dead." The ring. "Dead." The cup. "Dead." The diadem was last and Hermione threw them over her shoulder, back turned to the huge skeleton lying there as George surveyed it.<p>

"How did we not _smell_ this sucker?" he asked as he kicked one of its ribs, "Must've decomposed for ages!"

"George, shut up," Hermione muttered to him before something began to shake the room.

"Oh dear Merlin – George, what'd you touch?" Fred asked, whirling to his twin who looked as frightened as he and Hermione were.

* * *

><p>"Hermione!" Harry yelled as he ran towards his friend, "What's going on?"<p>

"I don't know!" she shouted back as Malfoy pounded down the stairs amidst all of the other frightened students.

"Dumbledore died!" he panted, his hair askew, "They're coming, they're all coming! Giants, ogres, whatever they've got is coming! _HE's_ coming!"

Hermione gaped at Harry before they turned and ran up to Dumbledore's office.

* * *

><p>Hermione rubbed Harry's shoulder, trying to soothe him as she bit her lip.<p>

"Maybe we can get rid of the Horcrux in you, Harry," she said softly, "Then it'll just be Nagini left."

"No," Harry said hollowly as he stood up from his seat, "I've got to do it."

"Harry, don't!" she stopped him as he made his way to the door, "You don't have to!"

"I do Hermione," he said sadly, "I've got to die."

"No! Harry! Harry!" she shouted as she ran after him down the stairs. As Harry stepped out of the doorway, she tripped and with a gasp tumbled down the rest of the stairs.

* * *

><p>"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked as he skidded to a stop in front of his brothers.<p>

"I don't know," Fred fretted, tugging his hair as he looked around. Suits of armor had come to life to fight for Hogwarts, ghosts ushering students out to safety. McGonagall and Flitwick were casting spell after spell to protect them as they left.

"She and Harry ran up to Dumbledore's office a while ago – think she could still be there?" George asked as Neville and Luna jogged up to them.

"What's going on? What do we need to do?" Neville asked.

"Neville, great!" Ron clapped him on the back, "If you see Voldemort's pet snake, kill it, yeah? 'Kay, thanks, bye!" He then ran off after his brothers.

"So, what, I'm a gardener or something now?" he asked Luna, who smiled up at him.

"You'd make a very pretty gardener," she said before skipping off, hexing a Deatheater as she left.

* * *

><p>"Hermione, Love, wake up," Fred urged her, making her lift her head up to blink at him.<p>

"Fred? Ugh, bloody hell, my head," she groaned as he scooped her up and hugged her.

"Are you alright?" George asked.

"I'm fine," she insisted as he set her on her feet, having her topple right back into him.

"Liar," Ron frowned as Fred picked her up again, looking for a place to hide her. He grinned and looked to George, who thought of it at the exact same time as him.

* * *

><p>"Alright, Freddie, you stay with Hermione and make sure she's safe," George said as he ushered them into their old creation room, the desks and shelves barren and the walls, floor and ceiling singed. "Ronnie and I are going to go have fun." He then shut the door on them, Fred waving his wand to have a couch appear, setting her on one side and sitting down on the other.<p>

"We can't stay in here," she insisted as he tried to look at her eyes, "We've got to go help."

"Hermione, sit still," he frowned, grabbing her chin and bringing her closer so he could see how dilated her pupils were, "You might have a concussion."

"Harry's going to go sacrifice himself to Voldemort, Fred!" she said, yanking her chin out of his hand, "I don't care if I have a concussion."

"Well I do," he frowned, bringing her back around to face him, "I care about you, so repeat after me – 'Sally sells seashells by the seashore.' Now."

She huffed, "Sally sells seashells by the – Fred, this is stupid."

"Okay, the speech part of your brain is fine, but your memory seems to be failing just a tad," he said, tugging her and pulling her into his lap, "Look, I'm worried for everybody just as much as you are. But you can't go out there, and you can't be left alone."

She sighed and relented and laid her head on his chest, her fingers running through his hair as she nervously waited for something to happen.

* * *

><p>"Harry!" Hermione jumped out of Fred's lap and over to her friend, hugging him as he breathed heavily. He smiled and hugged her back as Fred stood up, rubbing her back as she pulled away.<p>

"What happened?" she asked, "Is everyone okay? Are you alright? What's going on?"

"I'm fine. A lot of people died today," he sighed and looked down at his shoes, "But it wasn't for nothing."

She beamed and launched herself at him again, hugging him and running her hands through his hair, "Oh, Harry, I knew everything would work out."

"She lies!" Fred called out, "She's been worried this whole time!"

Harry gave a weak chuckle, but sighed and closed his eyes as he put his head on her shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Fred said softly, looking up at Hermione as she sat on top of the tree limb, a broom held in the crook of another one. She looked down and gave him a small smile.<p>

"Hey," she said before patting the place next to her. Fred jumped up and grabbed the first branch, climbing up the tree until he was next to her. He adjusted himself so that they were both facing the forest, looking out between the leaves to the stars.

"You know, there's a whole party going on in there," he said after a few moments, regarding the loud celebrating in the Burrow.

"I know," she said before turning to him, "Why aren't you there?"

"I wanted to be with you," he shrugged, making her blush a little.

"Oh. Well…thanks," she said.

He was silent for a few moments before turning to her, "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" she asked.

"Keep me and George from getting expelled," he frowned, "You knew that was what we wanted, that was what we were trying to do, but you still went and did what you did. I want to know why."

She smiled and shrugged, "Because I care."

"_Why?_" he repeated, staring at the side of her face before she turned to him, an eyebrow arched. She was still smiling, the moon give her face strange shadows through the trees.

"Kissing is like drinking salted water – you drink, and your thirst increases."

As Fred gaped at her, she looked back at the stars and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "It's a Chinese proverb…Fred?"

"Yeah?" he said, sounding as if his mouth was full of cotton.

"You can kiss me if you want."

He did just that, winding his hand into her hair as she leaned into him. When they pulled back for air, he rest his forehead against hers.

"Merlin," he laughed softly, "You are _such_ a headache."

She grinned back at him, eyes shinning, "And you love me anyway."

He laughed again, nodding as he closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>Molly and George grinned from the back porch, looking up as Fred finally kissed Hermione.<p>

"Did you tell her that ol' Chinese proverb?" George asked his mother.

She sniffed, "I have no idea what you're talking about." She winked before heading back into the house, making George laugh lightly and follow her in.

* * *

><p><strong>Well…that was long, wasn't it? Pfft, what am I doing here anyway? I'll just…go upload the next chapter now. Hehehe – bai!<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	6. Flowers for the Jester's Love

**This is being typed while I work on a particularly long chapter of Headaches. You'll probably know. But this chapter is inspired by the book/movie by Alex Flinn, _Beast_. It's the one with Vanessa Hudgens in it. I watched the movie already, but I've got to read a book for English class, and nothing is really appealing to me after I've read Harry Potter, so I just picked something. I read fast anyway.**

**Anywho!**

* * *

><p>Once upon a time, there was a jester who lived in a village. He would play pranks and jokes on all of the villagers. They grew to be annoyed by him but loved him at the same time. He met a pretty girl once and was nice to her, hardly pranking her except maybe once or twice. He didn't think her pretty at the time, because they were young and he didn't know what pretty really was.<p>

One day, as he was setting up a glue trap for the villagers, a scraggily old hag stopped him and told him to stop. He said 'No, I have to play pranks. It's the reason why I live.' The hag told him to stop again and he told her the same thing. She told him to stop once more, but still he refused. So she whipped out a wand and turned him invisible.

'You must find a person to love you,' she said as she glared, 'Find a person to love you when you cannot speak to them, and they cannot see you. Or you will never been seen again, and you will never be able to prank again.'

The jester was distraught, looking at where his appendages should be but weren't. 'Please, please lift this curse from me!' he begged, 'I'll do anything!'

'Find a girl to love you when they cannot see or hear you,' she said again before she walked away.

The jester despaired as he wandered all over the village, wondering how to do as she said. He tried to talk to a girl once, but nothing but air came out of his mouth. He wandered away from the village after months of thinking and getting nowhere, landing himself in the middle of the forest. He walked farther and farther, stopping at a cottage. He looked through a window and saw the girl he'd met years ago, who was now beautiful. She was sighing and petting her cat as she read a thick, heavy book.

'I wish we had some flowers,' she said as she looked around at the grey and empty cottage, 'I would love it if we had some flowers.'

So the jester wandered away and picked a few flowers for her, laying them on her doorstep the next day and knocking three times. She opened the door and looked around, confused, for who would ever want to visit her? She looked down and saw the pretty pink flowers and smiled, picking them up and setting the flowers in a vase that was much too large for them.

Every day, the jester would bring her a few more flowers, so that she quickly filled the vase and others too. And every day he would watch as her face lit up with happiness at the sight of his flowers, which made him happy too. He listened from the hilltop to what she told her cat, finding that she loved music and chocolate and that her favorite color was blue. He grew to love her, slowly but surely.

One day, the meadow that the jester went to pick flowers from was barren, all colors gone. He felt a surge of panic before setting out to find the hag. He knocked on her door and begged her when she opened, 'Please, please put more flowers in the meadow. I need to give them to my love.'

'I thought your love was pranking?' she asked with a frown.

'It was, but it isn't now.'

'So you have found somebody to love you when they cannot see or hear you?'

'No – but I love her,' he insisted, 'I want to make her happy.'

'Go to your love's home,' she said before shutting the door on him.

The jester trumped back to her home, doing as the hag asked him. His love was laying on the hillside, looking up at the sky and smiling as the sun fell on her. The jester walked up to her and sat next to her, watching as she loved nature. He saw her hand laying there in the grass and picked it up in his, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. She froze as the person touched her, but soon relaxed and smiled with her eyes still closed.

'Thank you for the flowers,' she told him, still with her eyes closed. 'I love them.'

He smiled ruefully as he flipped her hand over and traced the lines on her palm, playing with her fingers when he had traced all the lines. She was silent aside from her breathing, being content to stay there with him as grey clouds rolled in. He slowly took his hand away from hers, making her frown, still with her eyes closed.

'Do you have to leave?' she asked, 'Can't you stay?'

The jester thought for a moment or two before lying down next to her, tracing her face now as he did so, making her lips twitch into smiles which made him smile. He thought for a few moments as he felt along her eyelashes before he swooped down and kissed her on the lips. She smiled into him and kissed him back, pulling away and opening her eyes. He opened his and frowned at her as he saw not confusion but some other emotion on her face.

She dropped the smile and looked worried now, 'What is it? Do you not love me?'

Shocked at this question, he yelped before he could think, 'No! You're the reason why I live!'

He thought through what was going on, looking down to find that his hand was there and intertwined with hers. He looked back at her and grinned a full blown out grin before kissing her again.

"Ginny," Hermione frowned as she crossed her arms and stared at her friend, who was sitting in a rocking chair with a curly red haired girl at her feet. "What're you doing?"

"Oh, hi Hermione," Ginny said as she picked up her niece and hitched her onto her hip, "I was just telling my darling little niece here a story."

"I like that story," she smiled as she was handed over to Hermione.

"Which one was it?" Hermione asked her friend.

"The one with the jester," she grinned as Hermione smiled.

"Mmn, I _love_ that story," she chuckled as the little girl fidgeted.

"How does it end?" she asked her aunt.

"Why, happily ever after of course!" Ginny beamed, "They get married and have a baby!"

"Does the jester still play pranks?" she asked.

"Why would he ever stop?" Hermione asked the girl poised on her hip.

"Well, at first the pranks were the reason he lived, and then it was the lady. So wouldn't he stop pranking?"

"No – he'd just do it less," she smiled as a loud _BOOM_ was heard from somewhere in the house. Fred jumped down the staircase with a wide grin on his face, running his hands through his hair.

"Did you know that ashwinder eggs can explode?" he asked pleasantly, "I didn't!" He then catapulted himself back upstairs, where dark smoke was rolling around.

Hermione and Ginny nervously took the little girl outside, setting on a swing together that was tied onto a tree limb.

"Aunt Ginny," the little girl said, looking up at her aunt as she sat between her and Hermione, "Is that story true?"

"Of course it is," she smiled as she glanced over at Hermione, "Just ask your mum."

"Mummy?" she turned to Hermione, "Is it?"

"Well, I'm sure I don't know, Sweetie," she said, "But I hope so. You know, Flora, maybe it is."

Flora thought about it before nodding slowly, "Okay. …Do you think maybe it's about Unca George and Aunty Angie?"

Ginny tried to hide her snort as Hermione chuckled.

"Perhaps," she laughed as Fred ran out onto the yard, picking Flora up and swinging her around before sitting in her place, putting her in his lap.

"And how are we this fine, fiery afternoon, Ladies?" he asked, smoothing Flora's hair back away from her forehead.

"Mmkay, Daddy!" Flora said before she slowly slid off his lap and ran off, picking up a plastic jar of bubbles and waving them at Ginny. She laughed and nodded, getting up and going to help her blow bubbles.

"Ginny tell her the jester story?" Fred asked as he began to swing him and Hermione, an arm over her shoulders.

"Yup," she smiled as she leaned into him.

"Man, she keeps getting our girls with that one, doesn't she?" he chuckled as he thought of his two older daughters, Dana who was twelve and Marissa who was eleven.

"Even Seamus fell for it once," she laughed as she remembered the look of dawning realization on her classmate's face before he pointed at her and Fred and yelped 'it's _you_!'

"Yeah," he laughed with her as he laid his head on her head, "It took him forever to figure it out though."

She hummed and closed her eyes, smiling, "Fred?"

"Yeah, Love?"

"Thanks for the flowers."

He chuckled and pecked her lips, "Anytime, Love."

* * *

><p><strong>VIVA LA DE FLUUUUUUFF!<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	7. 99 Wizard Friends

**Okay, so whenever I read a fanfiction that I really like, I'll stop at random points and go off and rant and rave about it in my head, with the characters going off in weird scenarios, and I got one that was so – so epic that I had to push the one I had been working on back so I could type this out.**

* * *

><p>Fred had always been grateful for everything in his life. The fact that he had three older brothers, a twin, a younger brother and a little sister to look out for him made him appreciate the Weasley family anger gene. He loved his mother and how she always worried about him and his twin. His father was there to laugh at their pranks and then pretended to be stern about it when really he was laughing on the inside. He'd been thankful to have a friend like Lee, a Quidditch coach like Oliver and a totally cool ex-girlfriend like Angelina – who was very happy with the previously mentioned friend and was getting ready to be a mum. He was lucky that his twin had a weird girlfriend like Luna, who suggested that he use dirigible plums if he wanted to get the correct floating effect in his Fizzy-Lifting Soda – which he'd gotten off of a Muggle movie. He was glad that Bill and Charlie had yanked him out of the way of a wall right as he'd been laughing at Percy's joke during the Final Battle. He was fortunate that Harry had defeated Lord Voldemort, and he was glad that he'd gotten to know the bushy-haired witch better as she worked through her hair issues. He'd even made her a shampoo that tamed her curls – just for her.<p>

So it was impossible for him to be jealous of the bushy-haired witch's new boyfriend, Nicolai Zander, a smug looking guy who always had his hand draped on Hermione's shoulder, as if she were an excited puppy and his arm were her leash, lest she ran away. But there he was, glaring at the dark haired man as he and Hermione stepped into Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

"Bad joo-joo," Luna hissed as she sat crossed-legged on the counter, glaring at him in a very _un_-Luna-ish way. Fred hummed his agreement and chewed on the end of his Muggle pen, pretending to be thinking about products when really he was thinking about ways to off Nicolai and make it look like an accident.

"Hi Fred!" Hermione beamed as she bounced up to him, making him spit out his pen and grin back at her. She gave a little snort and seemed to grin wider, "You've got ink on your teeth."

"Of course I do," he sighed as he reached for a paper towel, "But that'd be a great product idea."

"Yeah – it would be," she agreed before heading towards Luna, "Hi Luna, how're you?"

"Oh Hermione," she sighed as she regained her dreamy stare, "I'm very fearful for one of my friends. I'm afraid she's in a very dangerous relationship."

Hermione blinked as Fred watched warily, "Oh my. How dangerous?"

"I'm not quite sure yet," she bit her lip a little, "What do you think I should tell her?"

"Tell her to stand up for herself and not to let anybody beat her around," she smiled as Nicolai stepped forward and draped an arm across her shoulders again.

"Luna," Nicolai began, "You look lovely."

Luna gave what was between a smile and a grimace before slipping off the counter, "I'm going to go help George and Ginny in the backroom." She then grabbed Fred's dismantled pen and took it behind the purple curtain with her.

"You can go look around – I think I got pen blood all over me," Fred grinned at them before stepping away from the register to wash his hands.

What did she see in him? He hardly smiled and barely talked about anything other than himself, and he refused to let her go anywhere without him or knowing who she was going with. He scoffed at him – Nicolai, such a stupid name. Reminded him of a girl's name. And he always looked like he knew something Fred didn't – it pissed him off to no end. He turned the water off and walked back to the show room, blinking as he watched Hermione regain her backbone.

"You have no right – no right!" she shouted up at Nicolai, her eyes on fire. Fred felt himself lit up on the inside, knowing that things with Nicolai would soon be over and that he'd never have to see the prat again, and he'd have Hermione back.

"You shouldn't look at anybody else like that!" Nicolai shouted back.

"Like _how_?" she blinked, "They're my _friends_, Nicolai! I love them!"

"Shut up!" he roared, "You aren't allowed to love anybody _but_ me!"

"Oh? I love my friends! I love Fred! I love George! I love Harry and Ginny and Ron and Luna and Percy and everybody else who I've ever cared about!"

Fred saw Nicolai's hand come up, his eyes dark as Hermione instinctively ducked her head away from him, her eyes shut. He appeared in front of her in a flash, his wand out as he moved to guard her.

"Just what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Fred asked, making Nicolai scowl as he unknowingly gained the attention of George, Ginny and Luna from the backroom. "You don't _ever_ hit _anybody _– and especially not Hermione Granger! If you ever try that again, I'll – no, if you ever even _talk _to her, if you ever even think about her, if I ever think you're thinking about her, I will kick your ass all the way to America! The _long_ way! Now get out of my shop before I call two _very _successful Aurors, a few Quidditch players, two pregnant ladies, my mother and Hermione's irate cat down here!"

Nicolai glared at him before walking out of the store, everybody silent as they watched Hermione blink at Fred as he turned around to look pleadingly at her.

George cleared his throat and started to usher people out of the store, "Alright, I think we're done today. Please come again soon."

"Mishter George?" a little boy who frequented the store often asked, the gape where his two front teeth should've been making it difficult for him to speak clearly, "Ish Missh Hermione going to be okay?"

"Fred's going to make it okay, alright Jon?" he smiled a little as everybody began to file out of the store. When he turned back and turned the sign around to 'closed' he saw that Hermione was silently crying as Fred waited for everybody to leave. Ginny and Luna were hiding behind the counter, watching as they let the twins take care of things.

"How long has it been going on?" Fred asked Hermione softly.

"A – after the first few months," she hiccupped quietly, "We'd had a row about something, and he'd hit me. I'd thought it was my fault."

"How often?"

"Usually once a week," she took a shaky breath as she covered her arms, "I've been using charms to hide the bruises before I come to see anybody. I'd had to get rid of the Floo and put up Apparation blocks because I was afraid somebody would come and see how purple and yellow and green I was every morning."

Fred was silent for a moment as George talked Ginny and Luna into leaving them alone. Ginny argued but shut up once Luna whispered something in her ear, the three going away unnoticed. He stopped forward and pulled her into him, holding her close as she finally broke down.

"Hermione, I'll never let this happen to you again. You've always been so good to everybody, you're smart and absolutely gorgeous and anybody would be lucky to have you. Hell," he snorted, "I'm lucky enough to even be able to care for you about the way I do, and not in the way everybody else thinks. It's not something friendly or even brotherly for me, Hermione. I think I could become madly in love with you over time, if you'd allow me to, and I would never lay a hand on you if it weren't to hold you like I'm doing now. I would never make you cover up your face with charms and spells because it's so black and blue that you can't even tell what shade your skin is. I just want you to be happy."

Hermione sniffed and pulled back from him, looking up at him with big, watering eyes.

* * *

><p>There was a knock on the door, and Nicolai made his way over to answer it. He opened it up and saw Hermione and Fred standing there, grinning mischievously at him as he took a step back in shock.<p>

"Hello there, Nicolai," Hermione grinned as Fred trailed an arm along behind her back to rest at her hip, "We'd like you to meet a few people."

"Who?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, let's see – there's George, Ginny, Luna, Harry, Ron, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Mum, Dad, Neville, Seamus, Dean, Xeno, Dennis, Cho, McGonagall, Slughorn, Flitwick, Pomfrey, Sprout, Aberforth, fifteen former Dumbledore's Army members, the spirits of Prongs, Moony and Padfoot and a very irate redheaded mother to the Savior of the Wizarding World, Oliver Wood, Adrian Pucey, Zacharias Smith, Kreacher, a blind albino dragon, Winky, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Stan Shunpike, Ernie – the Knight Bus driver, the shrunken head on the Knight Bus, Angelina and Lee Jordan, Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, Fawkes, Peeves, the Bloody Baron, the Grey Lady, Nearly Headless Nick, the Fat Friar, Hagrid, Fang, Alice Longbottom, Frank Longbottom, Gilderoy Lockhart, Missus Longbottom – Neville's grandmum, Fleur, her daughter Victoire, Hermione's mum and dad, Firenze, twenty-two centaurs, Trelawney, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, and Mrs. Figgs."

Nicolai blinked and saw that all of the previously mentioned people were there, standing there, staring at him with murder in their eyes, wands out. "What is this?"

Hermione stepped up and answered sweetly, "Why, ninety-nine wizard friends who want to kick your ass. I hope that you can run fast."

Nicolai absorbed this before running quickly away, all of the people streaming into his house to get at him, the dragon having a particularly difficult time. Hermione and Fred watched them go with smiles on their faces before laughing aloud.

* * *

><p><strong>Based off of the Bowling for Soup song – "99 Biker Friends." I wanted it to related very closely, so I had to figure up ninety-nine people who were actually in the Harry Potter series and would totally fight for Hermione if given the chance. The ninety-nine people include Fred, of course, he ran after the git after laughing with Hermione. Oh, and if you're wondering what the three Slytherins are doing there – they didn't like Voldemort. There you go. You're welcome.<strong>

**Review if you totally read all of the people! If you did and can tell me who was the 39th person in there – for authentication purposes only – I'll give you a special part in the chapter after the next! Mwaha!**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	8. As You Wish

**Who's ever seen _The Princess Bride_?**

* * *

><p>"<em>I am not left handed!<em>" Was what greeted Fred as he Floo'd into Hermione's apartment, his twin George close behind. Hermione looked over the back of her couch and grinned at them.

"Hi!" she smiled before turning back to her movie as a sword fight continued on the screen. George hurled himself into the chair, having Fred lean against the back of the couch as they stared at the screen.

"What're you watching?" Fred asked her as Crookshanks reached up and patted him on the face, purring.

"_The Princess Bride_ – watch it with me," she said, having him step over the back of the couch to sit next to her.

They sat there and watched as Inigo was knocked to the ground by the man in black, the latter running off to confront the giant, Fezzik, who was choked to unconsciousness. He ran off to find Vezzini, a blindfolded Buttercup awaiting patiently to die (Hermione scoffed at her – "I'd be _screaming_ if that was me.")

"_Let me explain,_" the man in black started.

"_There's nothing to explain. You're trying to kidnap what I've rightfully stolen,_" Vizzini said calmly.

"What?" George blinked.

"Buttercup was kidnapped by Vizzini to start a war by blaming her death on Guilder – she's the prince's bride," Hermione explained.

"So she's a princess?" Fred wrinkled his nose, "I thought princesses would be prettier."

"Well, she wasn't born as a princess – she was a farm girl, and she was actually chosen because she was pretty," Hermione giggled.

"The whole village must be full of dogs then," Fred chuckled as Crookshanks took to hitting his nose repeatedly, making him frown at the cat.

Vizzini gasped, "_What in the world could that be?"_

The man in black turned, "_What? Where? I don't see anything._" Vizzini switched the wine as his back was turned, and once he turned back around the bald headed man was chuckling.

"Vizzini seems like a Slytherin to me," Fred commented, making Hermione bump him with her knee. "What? I think he is!"

" – _Never go against a Sicilian when **DEATH** is on the line! Ha-ha, ha-ha-ha, ha-ha - !_" Vizzini stopped laughing suddenly and toppled over to the ground, making George and Fred blink before Fred started to laugh himself.

"The idiot!" he grinned as Hermione and George got quieter, "That's bloody brilliant! I didn't see that coming! I – what's wrong?"

"You could've died laughing, Fred," George answered as Hermione took to leaning against him, "We'll be fine in a few minutes, but just – "

"We almost lost you," Hermione said quietly, "We're still working on getting over it."

Fred nodded and watched the movie in silence, up until Westley awoke with an albino in his face.

"The bloody hell?" he asked, "Who came up with this?"

"Shh," Hermione scolded, placing her hand over his mouth, "I love this movie."

George's head began to loll back before he snapped it back up with a snort, checking his watching before standing up and stretching, "If I don't leave now, my significant other will kill me. Ugh. Bye."

"Bye," they called out as the roar of the Floo was heard.

* * *

><p>After the movie was over and Fred had cooed over 'true love' and 'miracles' and 'happily ever afters,' they'd taken to watching 'manly' Muggle movie that Fred had simply picked out from the cover.<p>

"Why is there kissing?" he asked Hermione as she painted her toenails as he watching Indiana Jones kiss some blonde lady by the use of tugging her back with his whip.

"Because everybody needs love," she answered, waving her toes in the air as she capped the nail-polish and set it on the coffee table.

Fred hummed and watched as she flipped around and set her legs over the back of the couch. She'd changed from jeans and a t-shirt to her pajamas, which were shorts and a different t-shirt. She currently had her eyes closed, letting Fred survey her as she sighed.

"Y'know, maybe I can find a Westley someday."

Fred frowned down at her lips before smirking, "What about a Weasley?"

She snorted and opened her eyes to roll them, "Oh, yeah, like I'd ever go back to Ron. I'd rather date Filch than go through _that_ again."

He frowned a little, "What about somebody else?"

"Who?" she asked as she inspected her nails, obviously not realizing that he was still talking about the Weasley family. "Hey, hand me the nail-polish, I think I messed up on one."

"As you wish," he answered, making her freeze once he handed it to her. She glanced up at him, seeing his smirk.

* * *

><p>"And that's the story of how Hermione and Fred got together," he said, closing the book as his grandson stared at him, absorbing this information.<p>

"Hey, Grandpa?" he asked as he began to pack his things.

"Yes?"

"Can you come and read it again tomorrow? I mean, if you want to," he said bashfully, making him smile against his moustache.

* * *

><p><strong>Gotta love <em>the Princess Bride<em> and _Indiana Jones_ references! The winner of last chapter's contest thingy is – _DominoTyler _and _MrsFredWeasley21_!**

**Congratulations! Send a review with basic information – hair color, hair length, skin color, gender, personality, name (if you want, use a fake one. Heck, you can lie through your teeth to me here and I wouldn't know. Go on and give yourself blue hair if you want.)**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	9. Wake Up Calls

**So I'm still working on the chapter with the winners in it. By the way – the answer was my favorite Marauder-werewolf-Defense Against the Dark Arts professor – MOONY! :D I don't know _where_ you guys got what you got. I double and tripled counted.**

* * *

><p>Fred blinked at his mother when she requested that he go and wake up one of Ron's friends – Hermione. George was to go and wake up Ginny, as Hermione was asleep in the closet they'd magicked into being like another room – Harry had nearly had a heart attack when his friend told him she was sleeping in a closet. He grabbed her arms and shook her back and forth and demanded that she run far away while she still could. But still – the girl was there for her first time, as was Harry. In fact, they'd just gotten back from kidnapping the kid from the Dursleys.<p>

"How to wake Granger up," Fred hummed as he stood in the doorway and watched her slept, "Could just yell in her ear, but that'd be no fun. Can't do magic. Can't scar her too much either. So what to do…?" As he stood and watched her, she curled even further into her pillow, her hand clenched around her blankets to cover her mouth. Her hair seemed to be everywhere, but deflated somehow, as if it were sleeping too. He soon forgot that he was supposed to be thinking of something when George decided to dump the water on Ginny, having her splutter and scream.

"GEORGE WEASLEY!" she shouted, having Hermione jump up and look at Fred with wide eyes.

She blinked at him as he noticed that her hair decided to come alive the same time she had. She tilted her head at him, "Were you going to wake me up?"

"Yeah, but George ruined it," he replied sourly as he stomped away.

* * *

><p>Fred was once again watching as Granger slept in the first morning of her arrival at the Burrow, a year older and – he thought – thoroughly prepared to jolt the girl awake, but instead he just watched her being peaceful. She was always so <em>busy<em>, when she was awake, when she was reading or scolding Harry and Ron or trying to keep the two from dying. She looked nice when she was relaxed.

"GEORGE WEASLEY!" Percy bellowed as he took off after his brother, who was laughing and waving his towel in the air.

Once again, Hermione snapped up and blinked at Fred, "What…?"

"Don't come out," he said, a hand on her door, "Percy's stark naked."

"_What?_" she blinked faster.

* * *

><p>Fred rocked back and forth on his heels, thinking before he snapped and launched up from the couch. It was so brilliant, so simple, and she wouldn't even kill him for it. He opened her door and all thoughts seemed to fly from his mind as he saw her, curled up against the pillow. He sighed and took a step towards her, dropping down to get face-to-face with her.<p>

"Hermione, wake up," he said, watching as her eyes fluttered open and she began to stretch. He walked out and shut the door behind him.

Just what the hell was going on?

* * *

><p>Fred no longer had the opportunity to wake Hermione up, although he knew it wouldn't happen anyway. He was never able to use his clever ploys to awaken her, always just waiting until somebody yelled at his twin or he gave up and wake her up nicely.<p>

It was bloody boring.

So he thought about various ways and made products off of them. If somebody happened to use one on Hermione Granger, he'd just have to get credit, that's all.

* * *

><p>Fred grinned as he catapulted himself over her, making her make a small 'oomf' before his lips began to attack her neck and face.<p>

"Fred," she gasped, attempting to push him off, "Get off, I just woke up."

"I know that," he grinned as his nose skimmed through her curls.

"No, I mean, I haven't brushed my teeth yet – get off of me so I can brush them, and you can then kiss me all you want."

He thought about it before swooping down and kissing her one more time, pushing off of her with a grin.

* * *

><p>"Daddy, wake up," the little voice said as the owner began to jump lightly up and down.<p>

"Why?" Fred mumbled as he burrowed his face into his wife's hair.

"Daddy, wake up!" she demanded again.

"What, Dana?" he groaned, opening an eye at her.

"Aunty Ginny's here – she wants to see Mummy. I tried waking Mummy up, but you were blocking all my noise. How can she breathe when you hold her like that?" Dana asked, turning her inquisitive blue eyes on him as her brown curls flew up a little with every bounce.

He smiled and opened his arms up for her, "Where's your sister?"

"Mari's still sleeping. Aunty Ginny's trying to wake her up, but I doubt it'll work," she said as she jumped into his arms.

"I've been replaced," Hermione said tiredly as she lifted her chin up onto Fred's arm, smiling at her oldest daughter and tucking a few of her curls behind her ear.

"I'm sorry Mummy," Dana smiled before stretching and kissing her on the nose."

"How's some breakfast while we talk to Aunty Ginny, hm? Chocolate chip pancakes sound good?" she said as she stood up and picked Dana out of Fred's arms, settling her on her hip.

Dana sighed and put her head on her mother's shoulder, grinning at her father, "If you insist." The two chuckled as Hermione left, leaving Fred to lay in bed and smile.

Years ago, he'd had trouble waking Hermione up. Now, he couldn't seem to get enough sleep because of her. Not that he was complaining of course.

* * *

><p><strong>Aha! The return of Fred's future daughters – Dana, Marissa, and then Flora years later! They won't always be there, but I like them. <strong>

**So…I wanted to update. I have a three-day weekend – one of which will be killed by going to the mall with some friends. I have only one page of Geometry homework. Don't judge.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	10. Driver's License

**Okay, so I've decided just to make a different chapter for MrsFredWeasley21. I mean, you and DominoTyler probably don't even know each other, so why stick you in the same chapter and make you both feel less-special? Anyway, here's a chapter which I like a lot, personally.**

* * *

><p>Hermione Granger sighed, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel as she watched through the rain and the grey at the stop light – which currently told her that she'd be very late for covering for her Half-blood friend Missy at a Muggle café. She looked around her car and smiled at the familiar things her loved ones had left in the passenger and back seat. Her mum had left her lipstick, her dad his book. Ginny had left a jacket and Harry had left his wand – he'd probably be needing that soon. Kaylee had left a pillow, George had left a pack of gum, Lee had left his favorite shoelaces – why they were in her car and not in his shoes she'd never know – and Fred had left so many things that she couldn't even count.<p>

She glanced up and saw the light change and got ready to move forward when a crunching sound was heard. She gasped before she blacked out and she hit her airbag, things flying around her car as another person's car shoved into hers.

* * *

><p>Kaylee was humming to herself as she rearranged boxes at Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Her long blonde hair had kept getting caught in various places, so she'd have to keep it up in a braid – which she was doing. She was very pale, with many freckles, which stood out in what little skin you could see in her uniform – which was a magenta dress with long billowy sleeves, the hem to her knees, which was where her boots ended.<p>

"Kaylee!" Lee sang as he made his way over to her, sidestepping multiple children, "Have you seen our two proprietors?"

She blinked as she turned to him, "You mean you don't know?"

He blinked at her now, "No. Don't you?"

"No," she shook her head as an owl practically attacked Lee's head, screeching and hollering as he dug into his hair.

Lee swatted the bird off as Kaylee tore open the note, frowning at it.

"It just says 'Mungo's.' But who, George, _who_?" she asked the note, glaring at it as she shook it angrily.

"I doubt yelling at the note will help," Lee told her as George made his way over to them, looking crestfallen.

"George," she smiled as she tore the note up, "Who went to Mungo's?"

"Hermione," he mumbled as he looked at his feet, "She got in a car accident. The other driver wasn't looking where she was going – texting, I think. Nearly killed her. She went to Mungo's and they said that she had a concussion. And then amnesia when somebody knocked her out again over a Bludger bat – _how_ that happened I don't even know."

"So she doesn't remember anything?" Lee gaped as Kaylee leapt up and clung to George, ready to wail.

"No – well, that's not true," he smiled a little, "She's got her name, her parents' names, and Crookshanks."

"What about _me_?" Kaylee asked, her eyes big and shiny as she looked up to George from hugging him around his torso.

"Sorry Kaylee – you'll just have to wait," George said, patting her head as she went back to pouting and he went back to talking to Lee.

"And this is where you work!" they heard Fred say happily, leaning from behind a shelf to see that Hermione was following him around, gaping at the shop as Fred led her by tugging her wrist. He spotted them and smiled, steering her over to them, "And here's George again, and our friends Lee and Kaylee. Not related, obviously."

"For one thing, I am white," Kaylee frowned at him.

"That's racist!" Lee snapped, frowning at her.

"No!" she whirled back to her, "I mean, I'm like – white, white. So white that I make snow look dingy."

"Uh-huh," he frowned and looked away from her, "Racist."

"I'm not racist, Lee!" she huffed as he grinned at her, picking her up and settling her on his back.

"I'm only kidding with you," he grinned before looking at Hermione, "I'm pretty sure you can guess that we're idiots."

"Are you bleeding?" she asked instead, looking at him worriedly.

Kaylee made a hissing sound before jumping off of him and beginning to tug him, "C'mon, Lee."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because you really _are _bleeding, dumbo!"

Hermione watched as Lee was dragged by Kaylee through the store to a backroom. "And I really work here?"

"Yeah," Fred said, taking her wrist and leading her to behind the counter, setting up on it with his back to everybody but her, "We were all rather surprised. We always thought you'd work for the Ministry or a bookstore or something. But we're glad you're here anyway."

She nodded slowly, frowning down at a floorboard before glancing up when something had caught the light. She was pulled to a ring on Fred's finger. "You're married?"

He followed her eye and looked at his hand, blinking slowly at his wedding band before smiling slightly at her, "Yeah, I am."

"Oh," she nodded, "Who's your wife?"

"She's out of town right now," he said, shrugging, "But you'll meet her when she gets back."

She nodded again as George leaned against the counter, sighing up at his twin.

"Freddie, where'd you hide the dirigible tumble weeds?"

"_I_ didn't hide them anywhere – it was either Lee or Kaylee. Where were they last?"

"Where they were _supposed_ to be?" he snorted.

"They seem to have escaped and are now floating on the ceiling," Hermione noted, making the two look up and have George groan and push off the counter to go get his broom to get them. Fred chuckled and grinned at her before frowning a little.

"Stay right here, I have to go talk to someone," he said, giving her a quick smile before he jumped down on the other side of the counter. She watched him walk down the aisles to a man with black hair and glasses. She'd seen him when she woke up in the hospital, but that was after she'd seen Fred, then the redheaded woman named Ginny, then George. He was next to another redhead, named Ron. But what was his name? They'd never said.

The man was still talking to Fred as they neared her, and he smiled at her as her eyes lit up and she remembered his name.

"Harry," she smiled, making Fred and Harry beam at her.

"That's great, Hermione," Harry smiled as Hermione got a closer view to him. His black hair was a mess, falling into his bright green eyes or sticking straight up. His glasses were rounded, a few small, hardly noticeable cracks in the nosepiece. There was a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt, another small faded scar at the corner of his lips. She vaguely remembered that Quidditch had something to do with it.

"Is she leaving?" George asked, his broom on his shoulder. He and Fred has the same shade of red, his hair a little longer than his brother's to hide a gaping hole on the side of his head. Freckles were all over the two, their eyes blue and bright. George was looking not at her or at Harry, but at Fred, an eyebrow arched and a question in his eyes that she couldn't read.

"Yeah," Fred said with a slight twist of his head which she took as a 'no' to George's question.

"Oh," George frowned before turning to her, "Can you come back tomorrow?"

She winced before turning to Harry and Fred, who were smiling at her, "Who can I ask that to?"

"Yes, you can come back tomorrow," Fred grinned.

"Then yes!" she smiled at George, making the three chuckle at her as Harry took her arm and led her out of the door. She turned and waved at Fred, who waved back a little sadly.

* * *

><p>"I live here?" Hermione asked as Harry and Ginny led her to a room, with canopy bed and a dresser and very little color or pictures.<p>

"Err – for the time being," Harry said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Where do I live normally?" she asked as she turned to him, arching an eyebrow at him.

"That would be a whole other explanation in itself," Ginny said for him.

She hummed and nodded slowly before setting herself on the edge of the bed.

* * *

><p>"Freddie?" Kaylee asked as she tiptoed over to him warily, in jeans and a white t-shirt now, "How are you holding up?"<p>

Fred shrugged after a moment before sighing, "I'm worried. I'm confused. I'm wondering how the hell am I going to get any sleep tonight and then act like everything's fine in the morning when I know it isn't."

Kaylee jumped up on the counter next to him, looking out into the dark store, "Y'know, a Dreamless Sleep Potion could help you. My mum makes a great one."

"Thing is," he whispered as he looked at his ring, "I don't think I want to sleep."

She stared at him funny for a moment before catching on, patting him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, Fred – everything will work out in the end. You are, after all, a Weasley twin." With that, she jumped down and waved to him as she walked out of the shop.

* * *

><p>Weeks went by, and soon a month was lost. Hermione had remembered snippets of her time with Harry, Ron, and Ginny, even Horcrux hunting which scared her half to death. The time when she was petrified had her curled up underneath the covers, along with her fifth year. She couldn't believe that she'd done everything she was remembering, but there it was. But she still felt like something was off, that something so important was missing.<p>

"Hey, Kaylee?" Hermione asked as she watched a potion bubble in the backroom.

"Yah?" Kaylee asked as she dangled off the chair, half asleep.

"Am I dating anybody?" she questioned, making the blonde girl fight to right herself in the chair.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, biting her lip and furrowing her eyebrows.

"I dunno," she shrugged.

"Err – well, ahh – " she winced, "Not dating per _say_. Don't make me talk to you about this. I'm really bad about this."

"Why?" she questioned.

"Because I just am," she whined as she stood up, going to the door and scanning the shop, "Look, there's Ginny. Go ask her."

Hermione nodded and stood up to go ask the redhead the very same question, only to have her cling to her and burst into tears. Ron had to come and drag her away, only when Hermione asked him, he hugged his sister and bawled with her as well. She gave up with a growl and walked out of the store, walking down the street to have the wind blow through her hair. She ended up back at Grimmauld Place, going in to sit on the edge of her bed and sigh sadly at her floor.

"Hey, Hermione!" Fred said brightly as he walked down the hall, stopping to come into her room, deflating as she pulled her hair away from her face, "What's wrong?"

"I hardly know anything about me – _me_, Fred, _me_," she despaired as he walked over to sit next to her, "I can't remember my childhood, I can't remember my eighteenth, sixteenth, tenth birthday. I can't remember what color my walls were when I was a kid. I don't even know where I _live_," she growled and gripped at her hair. "It's so frustrating."

"I bet," he said, reaching over and pulling her hands away from terrorizing her hair, allowing him to sort through the tortured strands to fix them, "Your middle name is Jean. You love the color blue. You hate it when people dress up their dogs and then coo at them as if they're children. You can't fall asleep easily on Fridays because you know you can sleep in on Saturdays. You hate eyeliner because you always mess up and look like a raccoon – your words, not mine. On your eighteenth birthday, we all hung out by a lake and swam and had a bonfire. Ron got drunk and climbed up a tree and started saying that he was Batman. We got him down before he tried to fly though – Batman can't fly anyway in case you were wondering. You hate your driver's license picture, but I love it because you accidentally crossed your eyes and you very nearly had your sneeze caught in the picture."

Hermione rest her head on his shoulder as he continued to tell her everything he knew about her, the two lasting until the sun finally set and they were left in the darkness. Fred had lowered the two to the bed, having him hold her close as he played with her hair and told her things. They eventually fell asleep, having Harry walk by and stop at the sight before smiling and closing the door.

* * *

><p>Hermione buried her face into whatever was warm, sighing a little. Early morning sun was trying to peek in and disturb her, but her sleeping partner wouldn't allow it, letting her hide her face in them. He played with her hair before sighing and getting up from the bed, picking her up and putting her underneath the blankets. She waited with her eyes still closed, but whatever she was waiting for never came. Instead, he opened the door and closed it quietly, making her open her eyes and look around the room sadly, feeling alone.<p>

* * *

><p>"George Weasley, if you even try it I will kill you," Kaylee hissed to him as Lee nodded his agreement.<p>

"Why?" he frowned.

"This will hurt her – she'll be so confused and freaked out."

"What about him? Have you _seen_ him? He hasn't slept in a month, Kaylee – the only time he slept was last week, and I have no clue where he was."

"Hey guys," Hermione smiled as she stepped up to the group, making them jump. She was taking off her raincoat, revealing a simple white dress that she'd found in her closet. Picking out her clothes was fun ever since her accident – everything seemed new, at the very least.

"Hey Hermione," Lee smiled, looking between Kaylee and George worriedly.

"Hey, Hermione, would you mind going and getting Fred?" George asked, making Kaylee scowl at him, "He's running a little late, and none of us can leave at the moment."

"Sure," she smiled as Kaylee growled and stomped off.

"Great!" he said brightly, his eyes lighting up and before he pushed Hermione towards the fire in the backroom. He grabbed a pinch of Floo powder and threw it in, "Seventeen-thirteen Parachute Lane!" He then proceeded to shove Hermione into the green flames.

"If Hermione ends back up in Mungo's, George, I'm going to put you in there myself," Kaylee warned with a glare.

"No thanks – I can walk," he grinned brightly.

"Not when I'm through with you."

The grin vanished and he stared worriedly at her.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Fred?" she questioned as she tumbled into the living room. Fred's head shot out from behind the doorway to the kitchen, his mouth wide open before he practically tackled her to the couch.<p>

"Hermione! You're here!" he said as he pulled her into his chest, waving his wand behind her back to have pictures slam down to hide them.

"What? Fred, what're you -?" she blinked as she attempted to pull away from him, only to have him pull her closer.

"Oh, please don't leave," he said with a wince that she couldn't see, "You're very warm – and you smell great!"

"Fred, what is _wrong_ with you?" she asked, finally pulling back from him to look at him strangely.

"Oh – nothing," he grinned, "C'mon, let's get to the shop! Right now!"

"Were you cooking something?" she asked instead as he stood up and attempted to get her into the fire, "I think it's burning."

He thought about it before yelping and running into the kitchen, cursing at the candle that Crookshanks had knocked over.

"Bloody cat," he growled as it stared smugly at him. He pointed his wand at the flames and sighed at the things it had burned – mostly just paper towels, but also the notes he'd had about Pygmy Puffs.

"Everything alright?" she asked, leaning against the bar.

He jumped and looked around to make sure that Crookshanks had walked away to smile at her, "Fine – just paper, mostly."

"These were your notes?" she asked, holding up a blackened notepad.

"_Were_ being the key word," he said darkly, swearing that if Hermione weren't so attached to the cat he'd kill it. He stared at the dark red wax as it cooled and hardened, poking at it with his wand and finding that nothing would happen.

"You'll just have to pick at it," she told him.

"Thanks – you can go ahead to the shop, I'll be there when I clean it up," he smiled as if nothing were wrong.

"Here – I can help you, and you won't be here as long," she said instead, walking around to poke at it as well with her wand. Fred sighed and allowed her to help him with the wax.

"Why don't you want me here?" she asked after a few silent moments of them working, although Fred had gotten a fork and was scraping it up.

"What makes you think I don't want you here?" he asked absently.

"You're kidding, right?" she asked with amusement, "You've been acting funny ever since I got here."

"Maybe I'm just crazy," he said, leaning over his shoulder to look up at her face. If she'd remember him, remembered anything, she'd laugh and agree and then kiss him in that weird position, but they'd both love it no matter how much it hurt either one of them.

But she only smiled down at him, "It seems like a possibility."

He smiled weakly up at her before righting himself, picking at the wax a little more sadly. He turned when he saw a flash of red, grimacing as Crookshanks began to rub up against Hermione with loud purrs. She looked confusedly at the cat before turning to Fred.

"Why is Crookshanks here?" she asked.

"Ahh –," he winced, "He hates Ginny, so I offered to take him in while you're still getting your memory back." Hey, that was actually a good idea!

"Oh," she nodded as she started to pet Crookshanks, her face lighting up, "Hey, Honey, I missed you."

Fred opened his mouth to answer her when he realized that she was talking to the cat. He blushed a little and turned his head. This was hard. So very hard. Why did it have to happen to her? It was awkward enough the first time, and then everything had been great and now it was just awkward again.

"What's awkward?" Hermione asked, making him blink at her.

"What?" he asked.

"You just mumbled 'awkward,'" she said, "What's awkward though?"

"Ahh -," he faltered. He could've said silences. People who haven't seen each other in years and couldn't remember the other's name. High school. But instead he said, "Us."

"What?" she asked, frowning at him warily.

"Well – I mean," he winced and started making odd little noises as he thought, "Well – we are."

"That's your argument?" she arched an eyebrow at him dully.

"Not if it wasn't good," he said sheepishly, sending her a grin.

"Fred Weasley, just _what_ is going on with you?" she asked as he groaned and threw the fork at the wax.

"Nothing. Can we go now, please?" he pouted, knowing she hated it when he did because she always caved.

Even with her memories of him gone, she sighed and relented with a simple eye roll and a "Fine."

* * *

><p>"I'm killing you," Fred hissed as he tackled George to the floor, having him yelp and flail, "You <em>know<em> how awkward I was before we started dating, you stupid git!"

"You mean that time period when she didn't know?" he asked.

"Yes! And Crookshanks jumped up to her! Thank Merlin I figured out a convincing lie to tell her."

"How's Hermione?" Kaylee asked from the doorway.

"Fine, but _George_ won't be," Fred growled.

"Oh goodie – now I don't have to kill George!" she said happily.

"Doesn't make him any less dead," Lee chuckled.

* * *

><p>Hermione huffed as she flipped the pages of her book, tearing a hand away to fix the blanket she'd thrown over her. What was wrong with Fred? He'd acted funny all day, hardly talking to her and instead just staring sadly into space. She thought back, as far back as she could, to see if there was anything that would've made him act the way he did. She remembered that he was married, that his wife was out of town. <em>He probably just misses her<em>, she thought as she shut her eyes and she fell against the pillows.

* * *

><p><em>"Kaylee, shut up," she said, blushing furiously as the blonde shrieked with happiness, dancing around her room where they were having their Anti-Valentine's Day Singles Sleepover. <em>

_"Oh, I knew it, I knew it!" she beamed as Hermione finally stopped her, "You love Fred!"_

_"I never said anything about love! I never even said I liked him like that! I just said that I liked him – implying as a friend!" _

_"Then why are you blushing? Why are you so scared that I'm saying all of this? Why are you lying?" she asked with glee before Hermione dropped her face into her hands and groaned._

* * *

><p><em>"So – Granger," George said, sliding in next to her and looking everywhere but her, as if they were having a secret conversation and he didn't want to look like they were talking to each other. "What's new?"<em>

_"I hate men," she growled, clutching at the counter as she glared out at the sea of people._

_This made George blink and turn to her, "Oh?"_

_"That guy clearly is here with his girlfriend, but here he is checking out Kaylee, Verity, Ginny, me, then turning around and acting as if he only had eyes for the girl with him! I feel sorry for the girl, she's going to get cheated on in the end."_

_"Why hate every guy though?" George asked._

_"I just have no hope for anybody else is all," she snorted. Fred walked by the guy in question and frowned as he winked over at Hermione, making her roll her eyes and snort. _

_"'Scuse me, mate, let me just grab these," Fred said, leaning over him and his girlfriend to grab a product off a shelf._

_"What is that?" she asked, staring at the box in curiosity. _

_"Oh this?" he held up the box, "It's for vengeful girls who have been dumped or cheated on by their boyfriends. Let's just say that it does some very nasty things to some very needed equipment." He then gave her boyfriend a very pointed look that she missed, making the man gulp and grin sheepishly at Fred._

_"Oh, she'll never have to use this, right, Pumpkin?" he said, taking the box away from her and setting it back on the shelf. _

_The girl giggled and leaned into him, "Right!"_

_George bumped Hermione's frozen shoulder with a smirk, "Some hope restored in the male race?"_

_"Definitely," she said absently, chewing on the end of her pen. George only grinned at her._

* * *

><p><em>"Perfect first date, huh?" Fred said sheepishly as rain poured down on them, making her flip her hair back to look up at him. <em>

_"Actually, yes," she smiled, bumping her hip with his, having him blink down at her in shock, "I love the rain." _

_He grinned at her before bowing, "May I have this dance, M'lady?"_

_She laughed and took his outstretched hand, "I think so. Just don't slip and pull me down with you, hmm?"_

_"Oh dear, now that you've said it I'm afraid I might – whoa!" he gasped dramatically and teetered back, holding her arm as she laughed. "That was close, but I'm afraid it might happen aga – oh dear!" She laughed harder before Fred gave up and took a step towards her, only slipping for real and tugging her down to him with an 'oomf!' _

_They blinked dazedly at each other before grinning and laughing, ending up kissing on the sidewalk in the rain._

* * *

><p><em>"It's moving day!" Fred said happily, pouncing on Hermione's bed with a huge grin. She opened her eyes and smiled as he rearranged them so that he was under the blankets and she was lying with her head on his chest. She sighed and rolled her eyes before Fred tugged her close and kissed her hair. <em>

_"Why do I love you?" she asked, mostly to herself before Fred froze against her. _

_"Why do you what?" he asked with a grin as she began to blush. _

_"I said nothing," she lied before he pecked her temple. _

_"I love you too, Hermione," he mumbled to her._

* * *

><p><em>"Married! Married! Ahh!" Kaylee and Ginny screamed together as they hugged, rocking back and forth as Hermione tried to hide against Fred. <em>

_"I better be the best man," George said, grinning at his twin. _

_"Oh, sorry mate," he winced, "I promised Malfoy."_

_"Malfoy? Malfoy! You slimy git, what're you on!" he bellowed as Hermione laughed._

* * *

><p><em>"Can you believe we're married?" Fred whispered to her in the near darkness as he played with her hair. She hummed with a smile, tracing patterns on his chest. <em>

_"I can, actually," she murmured back, "It feels like one of those dreams that you can't wake up from. But I really don't want to."_

_"Good," he smirked as he kissed her forehead. _

_"You want to know what I can't believe?" she asked._

_"Whassat?"_

_"That we watched the Titanic on our wedding night instead of having sex."_

_"Hey, at least when we have kids we can say 'we didn't even do it on our wedding night!'" he said before he laughed with her. _

* * *

><p>Hermione gasped and jolted up, sweat dripping down her face. She tore back the blanket and practically glided down the stairs to the living room. She checked the clock above the mantle to see that it read one o' two, but she threw in some Floo powder anyway and said her address as quietly as she could. She went through the fire, popping up in her – <em>their<em> – living room. She headed for the hall, but was stopped by Crookshanks staring at her in confusion from the back of the couch. She smiled and gave him a quick pet to get him purring nice and loud, then set off again.

Here she was, walking off down the hall barefoot, her hair a mess with cooled sweat on her face and still in the clothes from the previous day, but she didn't care. She knew Fred loved her anyway.

Why else would he marry her?

She opened their bedroom door and found that the bed was empty, and hadn't even been touched. She frowned before thinking through all of the rooms in the house and the likeliness of which one he'd be in before she warily walked down the hall, stopping in the doorway to the library to see that Fred had his back turned to her, a book in his hand. He looked like hell, his skin pale to make his freckles and baggy eyes stand out. His hair looked as if he had been running his hands through it nonstop, the frown on his face foreign and weird.

"Fred," she said softly, making him blink and turn around. He stared at her before setting the book on the shelf to take a step towards her.

"Hermione?" he asked as she walked towards him, a grin on her face. Whenever she stepped into the light for him to see, he beamed and met her halfway, picking her up to twirl her around. He set her back down and pulled her in to kiss her deeply and with so much emotion that you wouldn't believe. He'd missed her, and she'd missed him. His hands were in her hair, messing up the curls even further, but neither of them could be bothered to care.

Fred pulled back, her face in his hands now as he stared down into her eyes. "How did you figure it out?"

"I – I don't know," she answered, "I just woke up and _knew_ and – and ran here." She stood up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Merlin, Fred, I missed you so much."

"You are _never_ driving again," he swore to her as he dropped the two to the ground, having her sit in his lap as he crossed his legs, "You hear that? Never again. I am never letting you leave me again."

"I don't ever want to," she said, kissing him again, "I love you."

"I love you so much," he breathed against her lips, "Merlin, I was so awkward around you again. Today – yesterday, really – was such a disaster like you'd never believe."

"D'you stab the wax when you got home?" she asked with a grin.

"Shush, I'm happy you're back, don't ruin it," he mumbled as he pulled her even closer to him, hugging her and kissing her in their library. She laughed and hugged him back.

* * *

><p>"And everybody lived happily ever after," Kaylee grinned to Lee as Ginny tackled Hermione and burst into tears again.<p>

"I just love happy endings," Lee grinned back as Harry made their way up to them, "Isn't this great, Harry?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, definitely," he grinned back at Hermione, who was trying to lead Ginny into the backroom so as not to disrupt the little children. "Hey, do you guys know where my wand is? It's been missing for ages."

Hermione grimaced and silently pushed Ginny through as Fred walked up behind her.

"Tell him later," he whispered in her ear.

"Good idea," she whispered back.

* * *

><p><strong>Love this chapter so much. So freaking much. Nnnnyyyghg. I love this story so much. I can put what little I have for a story that would take forever to write out and get to the ending and fill in, and have it all make sense. Nyyyaahah. But, <span>MrsFredWeasley21<span>, if you'd give me the info I can start on your supermegafoxyawesomehot chapter.**

**Also – don't text and drive, people. You can kill others, yourself, and it just isn't worth the risk. Don't drink and drive either. And don't you even _think_ about doing drugs! I'm serious – imagine what would've happened to Fred and everybody else if Hermione had died! Replace that with somebody else's loved ones. Feel guilty? Now replace it with everybody you love. And now that you're about ready to die from all the imagined guilt, I'll just quit now. (This has been your daily merf. Merf.)**

**Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	11. Girls of All Ages

**Alright, so I swear I had a great idea for this chapter. I swear I did. And then it just started fluttering out of the window. Flutter, flutter. So all of this is utter nonsense! Whoop-de-doo. Sorry MrsFredWeasley21, but I'll try to make it as awesome as I can. *puts on motivational music***

**But, in all honesty, this has taken different forms. From the Gryffindor Common Room, to an office in the Ministry, back to Hogwarts, and then to the Burrow and WWW. None of the ideas have stuck until this one. In the words of my older brother when trying to use an old glue stick on a piece of art – "Stick, you s-o-b, _stick!_" **

* * *

><p>A wedding was supposed to be the most magical experience of a young girl's life. Little girls dreamed of it, pretending to be walking down an aisle of teddy bears and Barbie dolls to reach an imaginary man of her dreams. Teenaged girls thought of moving down a line of her best friends and family to reach the apple of her eye. Young women wanted it and were waiting for those to stop with the silly games and just marry them already. Those older were left to look back on it and thank their lucky stars that they'd made it to where they were.<p>

* * *

><p>"No, you go <em>here<em>, Mister Bear," Victoire said, moving her teddy bear to one spot, unaware that her father was leaning against the doorway and watching her in amusement. She surveyed everybody, making sure her little light blue Pygmy Puff – which her uncles had made especially for her – was still in the spot where the minister should go. She grabbed her wilted bouquet of wildflowers and weeds and draped toilet paper over her head.

Bill watched as Victoire began to hum the bridal march, going slowly down her line of toys to reach a little blue haired boy, who had an old Gryffindor tie around his neck as if it were a bow-tie. He looked annoyed, watching as the little blonde haired girl made her way down her makeshift aisle.

Once Victoire reached Teddy and her Pygmy Puff, she cleared her throat and lifted her toilet paper veil to speak as her Pygmy Puff. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two in oily matter-money. If anybody thinks these two should not get hitched, speak now or forever hold your Reese's Pieces."

"I don't ever remember giving you my permission," Bill spoke up with a smirk, making the two children turn towards them.

"Hi Daddy! Teddy's helping me plan my wedding!" Victoire said happily, swaying back and forth.

Bill arched an eyebrow at the still miffed looking Teddy, "How'd she get you to do that?"

He looked seriously up at Bill, "I don't _know_."

* * *

><p>Carly sighed, closing her blue eyes as she leaned against her desk, letting her blonde hair slip from its ponytail just a little. While Binns was going on and on about the literature made during the Elizabethan Age by wizards, she was humming softly to herself. By this time tomorrow, she'd be watching her two friends get married, standing up there as one of the bride's maids.<p>

It was so lucky that she'd been such good friends with Ginny while the youngest Weasley was at Hogwarts. She'd gotten to meet _the_ Harry Potter, and become great friends with the bride-to-be. She wondered just how long she'd be able to stay out of school. But since McGonagall was going as well, she'd have to lie to her and tell her that yes, she totally did her transfiguration essay that was due the day she got back to school.

Bugger….

* * *

><p>Mrs. Weasley watched out of the window above the sink, seeing Ron and Ginny argue on who would be their Quidditch team's captain. She smiled a little, washing the final dish in the sink.<p>

She'd remembered meeting Arthur in her fifth year – his sixth – at the train station to Hogwarts. He'd bumped into her and made her spill all of her books, his toppling to the ground as well. Despite how cheesy it was, as they'd reached for one book their hands touched, and they'd been in love ever since. Her mother had been overjoyed when she announced their engagement, but her father had been wary, as well as her brothers. But they'd seen how great Arthur was and had relented to let her become a Weasley. Charlie and Bill had been nearly inseparable, Percy being the little black sheep and hiding under the stairs to read. The three boys had always hidden together, however, whenever it was storming. They'd been afraid Deatheaters or even You-Know-Who himself would come into their house.

Once Fred and George were born, they'd realized that they'd have to protect their family from such evils. Bill was, of course, in charge, Charlie his second in command and Percy chasing after them in the woods, begging them to wait up. Ron came, along with the supposed end to Voldemort. Fred and George were a mess, and never grew out of their terrible twos. Ginny was born a year after Ron, and Mrs. Weasley was overjoyed to finally have a little girl, but soon realized that she was just a little tomboy.

But, still, she'd give anything to have them all so little to hide underneath her apron, looking up at her with big eyes as they tucked the corners over their ears, begging for either a cookie or a hug. Fred and George had nearly stretched out her apron at that age, squeezing under together, but she found that she didn't care.

She sighed and looked down at the sink, only to blink and realize that there was nothing left to clean.

* * *

><p>"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," George murmured, twirling a ribbon around on his finger as he waited in front of a dressing curtain, his conversation partner behind it. "You got your something old, Granger?"<p>

"Your mum's pearls! If you see her again, tell her I said thank you!"

He rolled his eyes, forgetting to mention that it'd be the twentieth time she said it, but continued. "Something new?"

"Earrings."

"Something borrowed?"

"Garter."

"Who'd you borrow it from?" he asked curiously.

"Malfoy," she said cheekily, making him chuckle.

"Something blue?"

"Undies."

He wrinkled his nose, taking a step back, "Didn't want to know that. Fred would, but I don't."

She gave a laugh, stepping out and giving a twirl. George gave out a low whistle, his eyebrows going up. She had her hair pinned up with little cream colored butterfly pins to hold it up, a lock of hair curling over her shoulder. Her dress was off-the-shoulder and without a back, the skirt flowing down to the floor with a sheer white covering that doubled as a train.

"Actually, I lied," he said, "I'm Fred."

She laughed, smiling at him, "Nice try, George."

"But wow, you look gorgeous," he grinned, "Seriously, any and every guy is going to be so jealous of Fred today."

She opened her mouth to say something to him, when somebody knocked and opened the door, his eyes covered with his hand. But his messy black hair gave him away instantly, despite how out of place it looked with the nice tuxedo.

"Harry," Hermione smiled, "What do you think?"

Harry removed his hand and blinked at her before grinning, "You look amazing, Hermione."

"That's what I said," George nodded before giving a softer smile to her, "Ready to become a Weasley?"

She gave a deep breath before exhaling, "Too late to back out now."

George chuckled and left to go and be the best man for his twin. Harry stepped towards her and smiled down at her.

"I'm so happy for you, Hermione," he said, gently putting his hands on her shoulders to peck her forehead.

"Thanks, Harry," she said softly before giving a little whine of distress, "Oh Merlin, I'm so nervous."

"Don't be. All you have to do is listen to the minister, repeat what you're supposed to repeat, and say 'I do.'"

"That's a Muggle wedding, Harry," she said with a small smile.

"Oh," he furrowed his eyebrows, "Well then what do you have to do?"

"Same thing – just with more spells," she said. They heard the music playing, louder and louder. Harry offered her his arm, smiling at her as she gathered herself.

"Alright," she said, grabbing her bouquet of roses, "Let's do this."

"Already sounding like a Weasley twin," Harry chuckled as they walked towards the big doors to go down the aisle, where Harry would give her away so she could become Mrs. Fred Weasley.

* * *

><p><strong>It's not the best out there, and I'm sorry. It's taken me so long to even come up with this. I apologize profusely.<strong>

**Anyway…maybe I can get a better chapter up….**

**Love, **

**Birdie**


	12. Pink Frilly Bird

**…I don't know what's happening to me. I think I'm beginning to lose my touch. *stares at hands* …I should start wearing rings. I bet it'd be cool. I could look like Phoebe!**

* * *

><p>Fred stared up at the girl who was frowning down at him, using an oversized beach blanket to cover herself as she perched in her tree. He grinned, realized how much the brightly colored blanket made her look like a tropical bird. But he quickly killed the smile – this was a time for seriousness.<p>

…Pfffft. Bird.

"Honestly, Granger," he grinned, eyeing her ankle and judging how much of a tug it would be, "Come on down."

"No," she frowned, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself, "I'm not going swimming. Not in – not in _this_."

"Well, Love," he leaned against the tree trunk, grinning up at her, "People usually don't go swimming in towels."

"Ugh," Hermione wrinkled her nose at him. "You're impossible."

"I think what you mean is I'm 'improbable,'" he smirked, "I'm possible because I'm _here_."

"Go drown," she ordered, making him chuckle at her.

"Oh, Hermione," he sighed, eyeing at her ankle again, "Don't you know that I'm a Weasley twin on a mission?"

"I don't care," she huffed, "I'm not going swimming in this."

"You don't have a choice," he grinned, tugging her ankle and opening his arms up for her to fall into them, having him stumble a little as she knocked into him with a scream, the towel flying over the two of them and blinding them. She picked the towel off, covering herself up for the most part and hiding her blushing face into her boyfriend's neck.

"C'mon, Hermione," he said softly, "So what if you show a little leg? I'm the only one out here."

"But you're Fred freaking Weasley," she muffled into his neck, wrapping her arms around him to help hide her a little better.

He arched an eyebrow at her, and even though she couldn't see it, she could hear it, "And? You're Hermione freaking Granger. And Ginny's husband is Harry freaking Potter. Hmm. His could be made into a song – I bet somebody's already working on it." He shook his head. He was getting off track, "Look, Hermione, I don't know what you're so strung up about."

"I hate my swimsuit," she muttered.

"I guessed that much. But why do you hate it?"

"My _gram_ picked it out for me," she finally said, pulling away and hopping out of his arms, letting the towel open enough to show that her swimsuit was light pink and frilly everywhere. Pink and frills, pink and frills. Fred couldn't stop the grin threatening to pop up.

"It's cute," he said unconvincingly, the grin still twitching.

She wrapped the towel back around her, "And that's why I'm not going swimming."

"Mmyeah," he hummed, quickly shoving her into the water without even a blink.

"_Fred!_" she shouted, making him grin down at her.

* * *

><p><strong>…I just don't even know. WHYYYY! *chokes back sobs*<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	13. Happy Valentine's Day or SAD!

**Getting ready for Valentine's Day (or Singles' Awareness Day, as I like to call it) with a little Hermione and Fred shot! **

**This is AU. Like, really AU. No-Umbridge-AU. What now? **

* * *

><p>Hermione was humming to herself, walking along peacefully throughout the hallway, refusing to allow the pain from her shoulders from her back or the digging her heels did to her poor feet. She kept walking and humming, a small smile on her face.<p>

"Why, Granger smiling?" a voice gasped to her left, making her turn and look at one of the Weasley twins.

"Simply unheard of!" the other appeared on her right as he gasped, "Call Mungo's!"

She laughed, making the two blink and grin at her.

"Any reason you're in such an exuberant spirit, Hermione?" George, the one on her left, asked politely.

"Because," she shrugged.

"Is it just a 'because' because or is it a 'Gred-and-Forge' because?" Fred asked skeptically.

"Maybe," she let a giggle escape.

"Ooh – "

"She released the 'Maybe,'" George hissed, recoiling from her, "Well don't leave us hanging here, Hermione!"

"Tell us!"

"You'll see!" she sang, walking away from them and humming just a little bit louder.

* * *

><p>"Ohh, Malfoy, I'm completely in love with you!"<p>

"Dean, please, marry me!"

"Oh, Neville!"

"What's all this?" Harry asked, a little grin twitching up as he watched the Great Hall become complete and utter chaos. Girls were clinging to guys, a few were getting into cat-fights, leaving the boys to either stand there in horror or amusement or puppy-love.

"We gave all of the third to seventh year girls of every House a potion – sort of like Amortentia but our own special brand – that makes them reveal their love to somebody," George answered.

"We've had about three coming-outs just this morning," Fred smiled, "One of them being Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore?" Harry repeated with a blink.

"Yeah – didn't you know he was gay?" George looked at him with an eyebrow arched.

"He just announced it to McGonagall this morning."

"She didn't seem very impressed – probably because she knew."

Harry chuckled before Ginny leapt up and tackled him, hugging him as tightly as she could. When she pulled back, she whirled around and yelled out, "Ha! There! I've claimed him! Back off, you over-hormonal preps!"

"What?" Harry asked with wide eyes, afraid Ginny was going to become another love-struck girl.

"Don't worry – we didn't give her any," George said, patting his sister's shoulder.

"We'd never do that to our baby sister," Fred scoffed, shaking his head.

"Hey, you seen Hermione?" Ron asked, calmly walking towards them with Luna wrapped around his neck, making a sort of human cape. The group eyed the pair with amusement – confusion on Harry's part – before shrugging and quickly coming to terms with it.

"No, not yet," Ginny answered, "But she was really happy today."

"And yesterday," Harry noted.

"And the day before that," the twins hummed.

"What's up with her?" Ron asked, still having Luna hold on to him.

"I don't know," Harry shrugged.

"Good morning everyone!" Hermione chose that time to walk in, grinning brightly at them, "My, look at all of this chaos!" She turned to Fred and George, making Fred freeze and stare at her as George grinned. "Now you two wouldn't have anything to do with this, now would you?"

Before George could answer, Fred leaned forward and placed his lips directly on Hermione's, stunning the group into silence, even after Fred pulled back and stared at her dazedly as she grinned smugly.

He gave his head one, two, three shakes, "What just happened?"

"I don't really know," Ron murmured out as Hermione grinned even wider at Fred.

"I heard what you and George were doing and refrained from drinking my pumpkin juice last night," she answered.

"But you drank your pumpkin juice!" George yelled out angrily.

"No," she glanced at Fred and smirked, "Fred did."

He gaped at her, his eyes wide, "I was sitting by you last night. You must've switched with me when I wasn't looking." He paled as he came to another conclusion, "You _knew_."

"What? Knew what?" Ron asked, twisting his head from Fred to Hermione, still hardly giving any notice to Luna.

George slapped a hand over his eyes, "Knew that Fred has had a crush on Hermione since – oh – our third year."

"But that was our first year," Harry blinked, staring at Fred as the blush began to creep up his neck.

"Now I didn't know it went that far back," Hermione was grinning, "I only thought it was since my fourth year."

"Nah – that's when he started figuring it out," George waved his hand dismissively.

"You _pranked_ me," Fred said, narrowing his eyes at the girl.

"Uh-huh," she smiled. "And it was fun."

Harry, Ginny and Ron blinked at this new information. George snorted quietly and rolled his eyes, his grin getting larger and larger before Fred reached forward and kissed her again, having her smile triumphantly against his lips.

"You are now the perfect witch," he announced, wrapping her in to his side and turning to their friends. "I'm gonna date her now, okay?"

"Okay," Ginny and Ron shrugged dully as Harry tried to process this new turn of events.

"Wait, hold on," he said, crossing his eyes and holding out a hand, "I'm still confused."

Ron, George, Fred and Hermione shared a look with Ginny before she sighed and kissed Harry on the cheek, leaving him standing there in that position, eyes crossed and hand up with a blush on his cheeks.

"That should work for an hour or two," Fred admired, "Breakfast?"

"Yeah," they all said, venturing to their table, Luna still being dragged along behind Ron as they left Harry to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>HA! I AM <em>BACK!<em> At least for right now, anyway… Hope you enjoy your Valentine's Day or Single's Awareness Day, whichever you prefer!**

**Love, **

**Birdie (who will be celebrating Single's Awareness Day once again)**


	14. Birdie's Guide to Laughing at Yourself

**So I got a review – it wasn't really bad, I guess, it was just one that made me giggle. You know the chapter, 'Emus'? Well, apparently someone was an emo and read it and got all offended. So I thought 'yeesh, people need to lighten up. Learn to laugh at yourself!' So…that's rather what I'm going to do here. Shameless self-insertion, yay!**

* * *

><p>BILL &amp; CHARLIE<p>

"Oy! Weasley!" Bill Weasley turned around, his little brother at his side doing the same. Both had many freckles, on their faces, arms and even down their legs. Their hair varied – Bill liked his hair long, down past his ears, but Charlie hated having to deal with his locks. But they were red – Charlie's more vibrant than Bill's, but red all the same.

"Yeah?" Bill asked dully, realizing that the owner of the voice was a Slytherin.

"Heard you don't have a soul! Parents too poor to buy one for your family?" he called out, guffawing as Charlie clenched and unclenched his fists, ready for a fight, when Bill stopped him.

"Do wha?" he blinked at the Slytherin, "Who says we don't have a soul?"

But the Slytherin was already walking away.

* * *

><p>PERCY<p>

Percy was soaring. He had a brilliant girlfriend, great grades, was doing an excellent job at being a prefect. What more could he ask for?

"GIIINNNNNGERRRRR!"

Oh yeah. To be as far away from anybody who'd make fun of him for his hair color and the blemishes on his skin.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS WRONG WITH BEING A GINGER?" Percy finally whirled around, screaming at the child who had taunted him about it. He opened his eyes to find that Professor McGonagall was staring at him with an eyebrow arched. "P-P-Professor," he stammered weakly as he paled.

* * *

><p>FRED and GEORGE<p>

"What's wrong, Birdie?" George asked, staring down at the small Ravenclaw girl, who was glaring down at a bug murderously, Fred collapsing next to her and leaving his twin and girlfriend, Hermione Granger, to stand and stare down at the two.

"Everybody keeps making fun of me for being a ginger," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Saying that I've got no soul or that I eat souls or some other such nonsense."

"What?" Fred and George blinked at each other, "How do they figure?"

"I don't even know," Birdie sighed, rolling her eyes and rubbing her temple, "I think I'm getting a migraine."

"I've got some pills left over from when I help Harry and Ron with homework," Hermione offered, grabbing the bottle out of her bag, "Take two."

"But what's wrong with being a ginger?" George asked his twin, leaving him to shrug.

* * *

><p>RON<p>

"Oh Ron," Lavender sighed, smiling with her eyes closed, her arms wrapped around Ron, "You're a brilliant boyfriend."

"Thank you," he grinned, feeling proud of himself for this feat.

"Even if you are a ginger," she sighed again, making him open his eyes and stare down at her.

"What's wrong with being a ginger?"

"Oh – nothing," she giggled, "So long as you don't eat my soul."

He arched an eyebrow down at her, deciding to ask Hermione about it later.

* * *

><p>GINNY<p>

"Oy, Weaslette!" Malfoy called across the Great Hall as Ginny was making her way to the Gryffindor table. She stopped, sighed and turned around, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder and tapping her foot.

"What do you want, Ferret?" she called back.

"Don't get too full on the souls – leave some for your brothers!" he laughed with the rest of the Slytherins.

Ginny stared at him for a moment before smirking, taking a few steps forward so he could hear her a little better, "Go ahead – laugh all you want about gingers. Just remember that Chuck Norris is a ginger too."

A majority of the Slytherins paled as Ginny laughed, skipping towards Harry and grinning as he tried to conceal his laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's how you learn to laugh at yourself, children! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did – I find all of the things about 'gingers' are hilarious. Gives me a great rep at school! ;) A show of hands of all ye who are red haired, freckled and pale? *raises hand proudly* <strong>

**And, yes, Chuck Norris _is_ a ginger. You have been warned.**

**Love, **

**Birdie**


	15. Being Happy

**So, my older sister was married like – err – a long time ago. (Hah, can't even remember when it was. I'm a terrible sibling!) Anyway, despite how much I hate her nub of a hubby, I want to be an aunt. The baby could call me Aunty Em! :D Wouldn't that be cool? Err – anyway, babies are cute. Mmyeah….**

* * *

><p>Fred was happy. He'd survived a wall, he'd seen the end of Voldemort with his arm slung around his twin's shoulders, grinning like mad with him as Percy launched himself at him. He'd fixed up Weasley's Wizard Wheezes after it'd been trashed by a bunch of Deatheaters. He'd seen George get married to Luna and was even their best man – Hermione Granger being the maid of honor. At the reception, they'd flirted – which was shocking because he didn't know Hermione Granger <em>could<em> flirt so well, being more witty and charming than any of the other girls he'd flirted with. They dated, got engaged, had an awesome wedding where George was the best man, and Harry was the maid of honor – which he'd actually been fine with, it was Ron laughing it up until he realized he was a bridesmaid. Hermione had even put a big pink bow on him, and he'd stood there proudly, leaving Fred, Lee and George to try and keep it together while all they could see was Ron with a giant pink bow on his head, complete with a straight face.

So, yes, Fred was very happy, with him and Hermione trying to find a suitable house so they could move out from the loft above WWW – because, frankly, it was beginning to smell funny there, and Crookshanks had taken to ramming his head into the wall.

"Hey, Love!" Hermione yelled as she ran down the stairs, jumping awkwardly when she nearly tripped, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Please," Fred snorted as he rang up a customer, "That'd be like calling You-Know-Who 'Cuddlemort.'" He changed his pitch to that of the newest secretary at the Auror's office, high pitched and nasal, "Fred Weasley for Death Row, please?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but he saw her smile as she reached up to give him a quick peck. "Love you, I'll see you around…night."

"So descriptive," he grinned as he watched her go, "Love you too."

Fred smiled pleasantly at the older man, a small child at his side as he continued to stare in wonder at the decorations in the store, "Hi, need something?"

"Think one of you could make my grandson here make up his mind about something?" the older man asked, making the child turn and gape at Fred as he leaned over the counter to peer down at him.

"I wanna do it! Let me do it!" George apparently jumped out from nowhere, beaming and looking delighted to help.

"Hey  
>George, think you can do it?" Fred grinned, shaking his head as the kid followed George blindly through the store.<p>

The older man nodded towards the door, putting his hands in his pockets as he smiled, "Was that your wife?"

"Huh?" Fred blinked before smiling, "Oh, Hermione? Yeah, 'course."

This was mainly just to get them on the topic of her, as everybody who could read in any language known to wizard that Hermione Granger had turned into Hermione Weasley via Fred.

"Any kids yet?"

Fred dropped the small vial he'd been moving in shock, hissing and dashing forward to stop it from rocking onto the ground and shattering, "Err – wha-what?"

"Take that as a 'no,'" the man smirked, "You even thought about it yet?"

"_What_?" Fred repeated before gaping at him as he chuckled.

"Yeah, my son-in-law didn't either. But," he shrugged and turned back to smile at his grandson, who was gaping as a Pygmy Puff purred and burrowed itself under his chin, "He did eventually."

"Grandpa!" the boy ran up to him, bestowing the fluffy thing up to him, "George said his name was Pip! Can I keep him?"

"Sure thing, Lucas," he picked up the Pygmy Puff, examined it for a moment, and then offered it to Fred, who continued to gape at him.

"Err – Fred? You alright there?" George asked, making Fred blink and shake his head as his twin took the Pygmy Puff and money, giving the Puff back to the older man.

"Have a good day," the man said with a tip of his hat, smirking at Fred as he and his grandson walked out.

"What's wrong?" George asked, putting the money in the cash register, "You looked like Luna on a rainy day."

"Err – you ever talked with Luna about kids?" he asked.

"Like – what? Having them? Oh yeah," George shrugged, "She wants about seven."

"_Seven_?" Fred gaped.

"Magical number and all that," he waved his hand, "But she'll settle for three or five, or even one if the aura is good on the day it's born."

Fred stared at him for a moment before sighing, slumping against the counter and looking at him wearily, "I love you and everything, but why did you marry her?"

George grinned back, "I dunno. Why'd you marry Hermione?"

Fred thought about it before grinning, "Yeah, we didn't exactly follow our fourth year plans, did we?"

"Like hell we didn't," George grinned before he high-fived his twin with a laugh.

* * *

><p>"Oh my Merlin, Harry," Hermione whined, slumped up against the couch in his office as she clutched a pillow to her stomach, tears running down her face, "What am I going to do?"<p>

"Well, the first thing you should do would be to tell Fred," Ron said from on top of the desk as Harry headed to her side, "Think he might want to know. Just saying. I mean, I'd like to know."

"Stuff it, Ron, you aren't helping," Harry frowned before crouching down, smoothing Hermione's hair back from her forehead, "Hermione, calm down. Now, what are you afraid of? So what if you're having a baby?"

Hermione glared at him before turning to Ron, "Check some books for me please. I want to find a spell to make him feel all of the pain of birthing a baby."

"I meant besides that," Harry said, although he shakily waved off an over-eager Ron from searching the bookcases in his office.

"I'm afraid of what Fred will say," she bit her lip, "We've never really talked about having kids before."

Ron suddenly dropped a book he'd been holding, his palms rushing up to dig into his eye sockets, giving out a loud 'ARRGGHH!' sound.

"What the hell, Ron?" Harry asked, startled.

"I just realized what you had to do to get the baby in the first place," Ron mangled out, "I'm gonna be sick."

Hermione and Harry looked amused at each other.

"Why did it take him that long?" Hermione grinned.

"I don't honestly know," Harry chuckled back.

She giggled and rolled her eyes at her friend, "Ron, I _am_ married to him. I think I can have s – "

"_No_!" Ron whirled around and pointed at her, glaring at her, "Stop it right there! I don't want to hear about it!"

"But we do, I mean – "

"Nah-ah! Just let me hold on to my innocence and believe that the stork really is real, please, Hermione, please," he pleaded, making his eyes grow huge.

"And that is why his mother will never get any grandchildren from him," Harry chuckled, making Hermione laugh as well. "Hermione, just sit Fred down and tell him. Work it out."

"Yeah, and it can't really be bad," Ron said, picking the book up from the floor, "I mean, he runs a joke shop."

Hermione sat up and smiled, setting aside the pillow and allowing Harry and Ron to sit on either side of her. "You're right. What am I worried about? Merlin, I love you two."

"We love you too, Hermione," Harry smiled into her hair.

Ron leaned forward, close to Hermione's stomach, "Just remember, little Bludger, Uncle Ron is your favorite. Uncle Ron is your favorite. Oh, wait, hey!" He sat up and perked up, grinning at his friends, "I really am going to be Uncle Ron!"

"He's so smart today, Harry," Hermione grinned before bumping him with her shoulder, "You should marry Ginny, then we can all be a big family."

"Do it, Harry," Ron urged.

"Do it," Hermione agreed with a grin.

"Hey," Harry frowned, "Is this 'Have All the Weasleys Gang Up on Harry Day'?"

They pondered this for a moment before grinning at him, "Yes."

* * *

><p>"Hey – you're home early," Fred noticed, checking his watch from behind the island in the kitchen as Hermione began to untangle herself from her purse and jackets and work shirts. "Pleasant surprise."<p>

"Mmhmm," Hermione hummed, shooting him a small smile before going to put up the clothes she'd shed. Fred watched her go with confusion on his face before shaking it off as nothing. "Hey, umm, Fred?" she asked as she walked back into the room, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she averted her eyes from his gaze, "Can we talk?"

"No," he shook his head seriously, making her look up and blink at him, "You can talk and I can listen, and then I can talk and you can listen, but both of us cannot talk at the same time. That would be too confusing and neither of us would be listening."

She smiled before sitting down across from him as he grinned at her.

"What's up?" he asked.

She opened her mouth, only to shut it again before continuing, "Have you ever thought about having kids? W-with me?"

"Yeah, I have, actually," he said, looking down at the counter top. When he didn't continue, she sighed and made him look up before blinking, realizing that he was supposed to continue. "Oh. Anyway – yeah. I want kids with you eventually, I don't know about right now though. We just got married and everything, and we still haven't found a house. By the way, Crookshanks barfed up something blue yesterday. Then it slinked away."

"Oh," Hermione said quietly, making Fred blink and walk around the island, crouching down and looking up at her.

"Hermione," he said, "What's wrong?"

She bit her lip before she finally began to break down, making Fred leap up and curl her into his chest and find a place to sit them both down as he picked her up into his lap.

"Hey, hey, shh, what's wrong?" he asked, rubbing her back as she worried into him.

"I'm scared, Fred," she whimpered.

"About what, Love?" he asked, pulling away and looking at her curiously.

She took a deep breath and looked up at him, her eyes still red, "I'm kind of pregnant."

His eyes widened and he gripped her tighter, "_Kind of_ pregnant? W-what does that mean?"

"It means I'm pregnant, but I wanted more words between the 'I'm' and 'pregnant.' I'm still freaking out about it," she admitted before studying him, "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, this is great," he beamed at her, pecking her forehead before wincing, "But, seriously, we need to find a place to live. If whatever fumes from the workroom can affect Crookshanks that badly, I'd hate to see what our baby would turn out if it gets to them."

Hermione and Fred both grinned at that – _their_ baby. It was a nice sound.

* * *

><p>Fred was happy again. Not that he ever stopped being happy, mind you. He and Hermione moved into a house close to both George and Luna and the Burrow. Crookshanks had stopped barfing up wiggly blue things and ramming his head into walls. Dana Elizabeth Weasley was born April fifteenth, smiling a few minutes after her birth. Marissa Geordie Weasley was born a year later, on February the eighth. Flora was born seven years after Marissa, on March thirteenth.<p>

The two older girls got along well, taking turns of watching after Flora and helping out with their dad, uncle and cousins at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Hermione just gave up at the Auror office, as it seemed she was always too worried about her family to ever do anything there, deciding to stay at home and make potions for people who weren't able to do it themselves.

Harry and Ginny did get married, producing forth Matthew James Sirius Potter and Lyra Lily Potter, twins, and little Marius Remus Potter around three years later. The Weasley family was expanding, George and Luna slowly – and unexpectedly – going for seven kids.

So, in case you didn't catch it the first time – yes, Fred Weasley was, in fact, very happy.

* * *

><p><strong>Cue the d'aaawwwws.<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	16. Adventurous

**…I should be sleeping. Murrrp.**

* * *

><p>Fred studied the younger girl sitting on the sidewalk in front of him. Her brown hair was bushy, making him resist the urge to play with it, as he'd been the one who had accidentally pushed her into the sidewalk. As he was seven, she looked five or younger, with big brown eyes that blinked up at him.<p>

His father had decided that it was a good idea to take his children to the Muggle village close to the Burrow. This wasn't the best of ideas, as he had gotten lost from his family – even away from _George._ So he'd been left to wander around, secretly freaking out on the inside, not watching where he was going and bumping into the girl.

"I'm sorry," he said, offering a hand to help her up, which she accepted. Fred noticed that her hand was smaller than his, and warm, too. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's alright," the girl smiled, "I'm Hermione."

He grinned back, "I'm Fred."

"Are you lost too?" she asked bashfully, looking down at their shoes and playing with her fingers.

"Yes," he admitted sheepishly.

"Do you want to be lost together?" she asked, the small smile back on her face.

Fred blinked at her before giving his bigger smile to her, "Sure, sounds like an adventure."

* * *

><p>"Fred, where do you go every school year?" ten year old Hermione asked, leaning against a brick wall as twelve year old Fred walked across it. "I mean, are you homeschooled or what?"<p>

"I go to a boarding school," he answered truthfully. "I come home for Christmas break and Easter break, and of course summer break."

"Oh," she sighed before climbing up with him, sitting down and making him halt his tightrope act across the brick. "Hey."

"Hey," he answered back, sitting down next to her.

"You ever wish you could go somewhere else? Like, you had another home to go to?"

Fred winced – he knew that Hermione's parents had been arguing much more than they ever had before, and often as well. "Umm…I guess school is like that for me, actually. Or out here, with you."

She smiled at him, curling her knees up to her chest, "Hey, d'you think if I studied hard enough, I could get into your school, and we can go to school together?"

He thought about it before shrugging, internally wincing at the lie he was telling her, "I don't know. Maybe."

* * *

><p>"Quidditch?" the fourteen year old asked again, excitedly, leaning in closer, making her look up from her book and smile at him.<p>

"No thank you, Fred," she smiled, taking her index finger and pushing him away from his nose, "I don't like flying and you know it."

He sighed and lay across her lap, on top of her book, "Then I shall be forced to pin you to this couch."

She laughed, already working her hands into his hair, which she knew he loved for her to do, "Fine by me, but you've got to read aloud to me."

"Alright, but we start at the beginning," he said, working the book out from his shoulder blades and flipping to the appropriate page.

"Fine," she smiled, knowing she hadn't gotten very far into the book anyway.

* * *

><p>"Ha!" Hermione, back from hunting Horcruxes, laughed, grinning mischievously as Bellatrix was flown into the air from a firework, "In your <em>face!<em>"

Fred laughed at her, grinning as she turned around to smile at him before gasping, running towards him to push him into the ground. They both yelped when the wall came crashing down around them.

"Hermione! Fred!" George and Harry cried out, tugging chunks of wall away to find that Fred and Hermione were staring at them with wide eyes, arms wrapped around each other. George sighed, glad to see the two were alive before smirking at them.

"Let me guess – it's not what it looks like?" he arched an eyebrow.

"Oh dear Merlin," Fred exhaled, leaning his head against a rock before popping back up and wincing.

* * *

><p>Fred pecked his wife's neck, having her hide her face further into the pillow. He smoothed his hand across her back, smiling when she curled closer into him.<p>

"No," Hermione muffled against his bare chest, "Not getting up."

He pecked her shoulder now, "We don't have to. We can stay in here all day. I'll read to you."

She thought about it before pulling her face out, lying next to him and smiling, "Sounds like an adventure."

He chuckled, kissing her as he waved his wand to have the before mentioned book fly into his grasp.

* * *

><p><strong>…VIVA LA DE FLUUFFF!<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	17. Very Fair

**Okay, so in case you guys didn't know, Chapter 17 left us with 99 reviews. So if you're the 100th reviewer, you're going to have a chapter! Unless I already gave you one. Then you'll get a cameo in the 101st reviewer's chapter. We've gotta be fair here, people.**

**So, this chapter has been sitting on my brain for a while and is completely AU – no magic, regular high school drama. Yuck. But it's supposed to be a tad bit fluffy and very humorous. C: Tell me if I do it justice.**

* * *

><p>Fred waltzed through the hall, stopping to pull a door open and stick his head in, smiling when he found who he was looking for.<p>

Hermione had her head bent over her mask, paint smeared on her face as she wearily traced her desired designs on it. Her curly brown hair was pulled back, headphones covering her ears so she didn't notice Fred sit down in the chair next to her, the corner of the table separating the two. She jumped a little, thankfully not ruining her mask, when he yanked a headphone away from her ear, grinning.

"Whatcha doin'?" he asked, smiling at her. His red hair, so much like his little brother and sister's but matched only his twin's, was trying to hide his blue eyes and many freckles across his face. She smiled back, setting the headphones around her neck and going back to her mask.

"Painting," she told him.

"So I see," he hummed, the two falling silent as Hermione wondered what he wanted. Her question was answered as he exhaled and leaned forward, frowning, "I need a favor."

"They're selling party favors on the corner of Main street," Hermione smirked, her eyes not leaving the mask, but she could feel his frown.

"You better be glad I need your help," he huffed, "Look, a while back George pranked me – "

"_George_ pranked you?" she gaped, tearing her eyes away.

"Yeah! I know!" he agreed at her shocked appearance, "It's like that pact we made when we were seven didn't mean anything! Ahh – " he shook his head to clear it, "Anyway – George is actually secretly terrified of you."

"Really?" she asked, a small smile gracing her features, "That's information worth knowing."

He smirked back, "Patience. Now, all I need you to do tomorrow is stay after school until around three thirty-five and then continue on your merry way home."

"That's it?" she questioned, her mask forgotten all together.

He smiled and shrugged, "That's it. That's all I need you to do."

"Okay," she shrugged, "But if George pranks me back – "

"Don't worry, he won't," he waved his hand before standing up, "Thanks, Hermione."

"Anytime," she smiled, going back to her mask as she thought he was about to walk off.

He leaned down, brushing off some blue paint from her cheek, "Y'know, I think that's supposed to go on the fake face, not yours."

She turned and frowned at him as he righted himself and grinned, walking off with a wave.

* * *

><p>Hermione was walking down the sidewalk next to the school after having killed a few minutes by re-organizing her locker and helping Neville – who was in her homeroom – find a few items that he'd lost. She wondered what Fred would have planned for her, then stopped when she noticed that he and George were walking side by side, making it harder for her to tell which was which.<p>

"Hi guys," she smiled, wondering with uncertainty how this was going to work.

"Hey, Hermione," one said with a grin, "You get all the paint out of your hair?"

A hand jumped up to her hair as she blinked at him – which she guessed was Fred – and started to run her fingers through it, "I had paint in my hair?"

Fred chuckled as George smiled a little.

"Well, I gotta go turn this rectangular thing to Pince," Fred held up a book, making Hermione roll her eyes at him, "I'll be right back – why don't you two stay right _here_ and we can walk the lady home?"

George shrugged as if there were nothing wrong with this, but Hermione wondered what the hell was really going on.

"Hey, Granger," George said, his voice sounding deeper as if he'd forced it to, but for reasons why she couldn't think of. He wasn't even looking at her, but at a point that was so close to her that one could've mistaking him for looking at her, "D'you mind helping me with something?"

"What?" she asked, gripping her own book tighter as she grew a little suspicious. _Both_ Weasley twins asking her something within twenty-four hours?

"Oh, just a little experiment I want to do," he shrugged, his eyes on the sky now.

At the idea of helping with a school project, she perked up a little, "Oh, sure!"

His eyes finally met hers as he grinned, but she blinked as she'd never seen that kind of grin on his face before. She'd seen it on Fred's plenty of times, when he was trying to flirt with girls and –

She gasped a second too late, as Fred's lips were on hers, his eyes closed as he backed them into the wall, his arms up on either side of the wall so she couldn't run away. She made a small muffled noise of surprise, her face growing hotter before she did the first thing she could think of.

She broke the kiss and smacked him as hard as she could with her book.

"YE-OW! Holy mother of Godric Gryffindor, Hermione, that hurt!" he glared at her as she glared back at him, her book up like a baseball bat as if he'd attack her again – although, to be entirely honest, kissing definitely wouldn't be classified as an attack. If so, wars would be very, _very_ awkward.

"You just kissed me! You set this up so you could kiss me!" her brain didn't even register that there would be a reason as to _why_ he kissed her.

"Umm, yeah," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head where she'd hit him and wincing, "George didn't really know though. He really actually had to go return a book."

She glared at him more before shaking her head, "Fred Weasley, you stay the bloody hell away from me from now on!" She began to walk away, towards her house where she could gripe about the bloody boy to her cat.

"Aww, c'mon, Hermione, don't be like that," he said this in disappointment, but was smiling a little as he realized just how riled up he could get her.

She walked off without another word, right when George decided to come back book-free.

"What's with Granger?" George asked, blinking.

"Nothing," Fred shook his head, hardly disappointed at how his plan had worked out. "C'mon, Ginny'll blow her top if we're not there to save Harry's arse from Dad."

"It's nothing bad, really," George shrugged, "It's Mum he's got to worry about."

"That's what he gets if he wants to date our sister," Fred chuckled.

* * *

><p>"Hermione, c'mon, get in the car," Ginny pleaded, driving the convertible she, her brothers and father had fixed, deeming it hers as they had accidentally painted it a light yellow instead of white.<p>

"No, thank you," she huffed as George arched an eyebrow at Fred, who was squished between Ron and Lavender, Harry having called shotgun gleefully. Fred only rolled his eyes and took off his seatbelt, catapulting himself over Ron and Lavender onto the sidewalk.

Ginny screeched at him, "Do not stand up when the vehicle is in motion!"

"Stuff it, Ginny," Fred said, walking next to Hermione as she attempted to ignore him and his family, "C'mon, Hermione, talk to me."

"I told you to stay the bloody hell away from me yesterday. There, I talked to you – for the last time, I might add," she huffed at him, gripping her books tighter.

Fred saw this and rolled his eyes, stepping in front of her to stop her. He grabbed the books, bringing them down so he could have most of the leverage of them, and kissed her again, making Ginny, Harry and Ron yelp and have Ginny slam on the brakes. Hermione gasped and yanked back, leaving Fred with her books.

"Stop doing that!" she ordered, her face red as Ginny and Lavender stared intently at her, George and Harry doing the same as Ron gleefully moved over with the proclamation of "ROOM!"

"No!" he grinned, tossing Hermione's books to George so he could turn back to her with his arms across his chest, mimicking her, "Look, Hermione, I don't know what your problem is. All I did was kiss you. It's what people do. Look ... I'm sorry if I made you mad. I don't know what I did wrong. I just gave you a kiss. I mean, just ... why not give me one back? It's the polite thing to do, you know, get a kiss/give a kiss, very fair. Just ... give me a kiss, Hermione."

"Aww," Lavender and Ginny cooed, George rolling his eyes at the two girls.

She frowned at him for the longest time, making him think that maybe this was all a terrible decision that would only end in death – _his_ death – when she reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing him down to her height, placing her lips on his and leaving him the one with his eyes wide open in shock. Ginny and Lavender cooed again before realizing that, oh, wait, they hated each other – Ron was gagging and Harry was laughing with George.

Hermione pulled back and looked thoughtful at him as he blinked at her before grinning, running a hand through his hair.

"See? Polite. And _extremely_ fair, I might add."

She arched an eyebrow at him and smiled, making Fred practically beam from this as it meant progress, "You're practically insane, aren't you?"

"Little bit," he said before turning back to Ginny, "Hey, uhh, Ginny? Why don't you all go home? I think I'll walk with Hermione."

"Mmkay," Ginny said gleefully, waving to Hermione as she began to drive off, but not before George stood up – making Ginny squawk her rule again and slow to a crawl.

"I look forward to being your brother-in-law, Granger!" George waved, making Harry, Ron and Ginny laugh before they finally left the two blushing and glaring at the redhead.

"Sorry," Fred winced as they began to walk, "Umm – you might have to deal with that a lot more now that we're…."

"Dating?" she smiled as he grinned and nodded, taking his wrist and using it to pull his arm over her shoulders, "That's alright. Just means you'll have to meet my dad."

Fred winced before sighing, "That's what I get, I guess."

Hermione chuckled, reaching up to peck his cheek, making him smile back at her.

* * *

><p><strong>The 'get a kissgive a kiss' thing was from the school play I'm in, Almost, Maine. It's not even in my scene, but it fit so well, so… Hehe.**

**Anyway, the 100th reviewer gets a chapter! Woohoo!**

**Love, **

**Birdie**


	18. Title Cannot Be Found Due to D'Aww

**Congratulations are in order to 4ever sweet, our 100th reviewer! **

* * *

><p>Hermione huffed, sending her hair up in the air before it came back down. Kylie, a girl with wavy light brown hair, sat to her left, grinning as she watched their Gryffindors fly off after the Slytherins. Kylie blinked and turned to find that her friend was grumpily watching as Ron kept winking and waving at Lavender Brown, who giggled and waved back at him.<p>

"We are getting all of the people you can tolerate into the Room of Requirement tonight," Kylie announced, making Hermione blink at her. "Slumber party."

As Hermione opened her mouth to argue with her that she didn't need a slumber party, that she really needed to study, Kylie shoved her scarf into her friend's mouth, making her splutter and look at the owner of the scarf.

"It's my birthday in a few weeks," Kylie pouted, "I won't be here. For me?"

Hermione sighed and nodded, slumping against Neville, who blinked at the contact, and continued to watch the game, thinking up curses to use against Ron in the meantime.

* * *

><p>"What's Harry doing here?" Hermione blinked as Harry, clad in plaid pajama pants and a white shirt, stepped down into the sunken-in room, made up like a living room with a sectional couch that went with the grooves set into the room. He dropped down into the couch with her, grinning as he set his jaw against his fist.<p>

"Because you can tolerate me," he said, bumping her knee to make her smile.

"I have a surprise!" Ginny sang as she waltzed in with Luna, who was carrying a potted plant.

"What?" Kylie asked, somewhat quietly, as she never was close to the redhead or Harry, Luna being someone she consulted with frequently to guess on her Divination homework.

"You'll see," she grinned and winked.

"Hello, Harry," Luna said, smiling dreamily at him before setting the potted plant on his head, "Hold this."

"Umm," he glanced at Hermione, "Okay. Sure."

"So – popcorn?" Kylie coughed into her fist nervously before holding the bucket out, "I made lots."

"Popcorn!" Harry and Hermione, having been cut off from such a treat, dove for it. Ginny blinked at the substance being held out in front of her before taking one and popping it into her mouth, crunching it before sighing and grabbing a large handful. Luna grabbed her own bucket, smaller than the shared one, and used her tongue to peck out the popcorn and eat it.

"Hey," Harry said through a mouthful of popcorn, "Are we doing anything else or is this just it?"

"I'm fine with this," Ginny admitted.

"No – the Room of Requirement has provided us with the tellie of vision, so that we may watch the pictures of motion," Kylie said, producing forth movies. Hermione sifted through them before gasping and beaming.

"_The Lion King_?" she asked happily, "Really?"

"Who can hate _the Lion King_?" she grinned back.

"I never got to watch it when I was a kid," Harry pouted before beaming as well, "Let's turn it on!"

"Yeah!" Hermione and Kylie agreed as Ginny and Luna exchanged confused glances.

Hermione and Kylie sat in the dark and hummed the songs as the other three watched for the first time, Harry, Ginny and Luna sitting up so close to the TV and with their eyes wide and mouths open.

There were a few sniffles as Simba called for his father, who didn't respond.

"What're you watching?" somebody asked behind the two girls on the couch, making them jump up on the furniture and scream, hugging each other as Hermione produced her wand to aim blindly at the intruder. Harry, Ginny and Luna screamed as well, diving behind the television as the lights came up.

"Fred! George!" Ginny yelled at her brothers as Harry and Luna's eyes peeked out from a still shot of Timon and Pumba running after some crows. "Don't _do that!_"

"Well, you're the one that invited us!" George huffed, crossing his arms over his light blue t-shirt, his twin grinning and doing the same.

"Are you wearing Muggle jeans?" Kylie asked curiously, staring up at the boys who had once scared off Theodore Nott when she was a first year right when she'd been ready to clock him. They'd argued about it for a minute before laughing at how stupid it really was.

"Yes – why?" Fred grinned at the two girls, who were still hugging, but Hermione had lowered her wand.

"Thought they looked Muggle," she mused as Hermione let go of her with a snort.

"Wizards don't have jeans, Kylie," she smiled, "So I think they'd have to be Muggle."

"They don't?" she blinked, "But Ron wears them sometimes – Ginny too."

"You forget who our father is, Love," George smiled before dropping down next to her, "Now – what _are_ we watching?"

"Yes – I too would like to know," Fred said, dropping down next to Hermione before blinking, "Actually, what the hell is this thing?"

"Uhh, yeah," George winced.

With a laugh, Hermione began to explain to them what was going on, while Harry and Ginny waited impatiently to get back to the movie. Once everybody was caught up to spend, the movie began again, Kylie watching as Fred stretched and let his arm fall behind Hermione, making Kylie grin in the darkness as he glanced at his companion to make sure she didn't notice. She saw Ginny movie her head and glance at her brother and friend before catching Kylie's eye and winking. Her eyebrows went up when she realized that this is what Ginny had had planned when she invited her brothers over and, with a quick look at George, saw that he had the same thing in mind as well.

_Weasleys_, Kylie thought as she sunk lower into the couch and grabbed a pillow, _At the very least, they're entertaining._

* * *

><p>"That was beautiful," Ginny admitted as they watched the credits roll, Hermione having shifted so that her head was on Kylie's pillow, curling her legs in so that she wouldn't hit Fred. Fred, having been fine until she had moved, shrugged as a response.<p>

"Let's watch _the Little Mermaid!_" Harry exclaimed, holding up the tape.

Hermione and Kylie snorted and grinned.

"Harry, that's a little girl's movie," Kylie told him before wincing at his pout, "Hermione, help me out here."

"Harry, besides, I've seen it enough times to act it out for you whenever you want," Hermione said, "Put it back and find another one."

"No!" he whined, hugging the tape to his chest and pointing again, "We gotta play it!"

"And Hermione's gotta act with it!" Ginny said gleefully.

"What?" Hermione sat up, going back to having Fred's arm over her shoulders until she leaned forward.

"You said you'd act it out for me anytime I wanted," Harry grinned as he took their previous movie out and stuffed _the Little Mermaid_ in its place. "Well, I want you to act it out now."

"Harry, I was stretching the truth – I can't really act it out word for word."

"Betcha she knows all the songs," Kylie grinned. As Hermione glared at her, she grinned wider, "You do! Oh, Hermione, sing with Ariel!"

"I want to do it too!" Ginny scrambled for the box, "I want to be this creepy lady! What's her face?"

Hermione squinted before sighing, slumping against Fred's arm, "Ursula."

"Ursula! I want to sing with her!" Ginny got up and jumped out of the sunken in living room, running towards the room that the girls would be using to change into their pajamas, "Let me go prepare! Give me my cue!"

Hermione only grabbed the pillow out of Kylie's lap and shoved it over her face to groan into it, having Fred grin at her and take the pillow away from her.

"Relax, Granger," he said, ruffling up her hair, "How many songs can you have to sing?"

"Umm – if memory serves correct – a good majority of them," Kylie smiled at Harry, "I think I like you now."

"Umm – okay?" he blinked at Luna, who had her potted plant on her head now. Ginny flung the door open dramatically, having them turn around to see what was wrong with her, when Hermione jumped up with an indignant shout.

"Those are my pajamas!" she exclaimed.

"Hmm, yes, I know," she smiled, hugging her arms around the long sleeved t-shirt, spinning around to show off Hermione's grey sweatpants, "These are comfy though."

"Why do you think I like them?" Hermione glared.

"You can borrow mine," Ginny said as she squished in between Hermione and Fred, making her brother shoot her a glare, "Hope you shaved your legs. Did you?"

Harry, Luna, Kylie and the twins choked back laughs as Hermione glared at her, "Yes."

"Oh good," she smiled as Harry pressed play on the VCR before blinking, turning back to her friend, "How far up?"

"Ginny!" she snapped, making her redheaded friend giggle. She then gave a delighted squeal upon finding that Ariel was a redhead too. A few minutes into the movie, she turned to Kylie, frowning, "When does she have to sing?"

"Umm – in a few minutes, actually," she hummed before looking over to Hermione, "Are you ready to become part of our world?"

"Shut up," she grumbled, standing up and heading into the other room to change. Ginny giggled loudly, waiting until she heard the door open, turning and around and beaming.

"Your legs are pale," she smiled as Hermione padded over to her. She was dressed in light pink shorts, a girly tank top to match.

"Harry, did you bring a jacket or something?" she asked, looking at her friend worriedly.

"Want to borrow a shirt?" Fred asked, tugging at his collar.

"Here you go!" Harry said, taking off his white t-shirt and throwing it to Hermione. Ginny then blushed up to her roots, Kylie quickly adverting her eyes and trying to train them onto the pillow. Luna ignored them all and stared at the talking seagull.

"No, Harry! There are ladies present!" George gasped before taking off his shirt and chunking it at the black haired boy.

"George! The indecency!" Fred gasped as well before taking off his own shirt and tossing it to his twin, who put it on before inspecting it.

"Isn't this mine anyway?"

"Well in that case, you wore mine here."

"Will everybody just please put their own shirts back on?" Hermione sighed, wadding up Harry's shirt and throwing it back to him as he tossed the blue shirt back to the twins.

"I've got a spare shirt in my bag, Hermione," Luna said, "You're welcome to use it."

"Thank you, Luna," she nodded before going through Luna's bag, picking out a purple shirt and going back to the changing room. A few minutes later, as Ariel was wondering if maybe her father was right, Hermione walked back out, still in the short shorts but with Luna's purple t-shirt on instead.

"It's your first song!" Kylie said gleefully, grabbing Hermione's arm and towing her onto the couch.

"I'm not singing," Hermione huffed as Ariel began to sing without her.

"Sing," Harry said, whirling around and frowning at her.

"Sing!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun, wanderin' free – wish I could be part of that world!" Luna sang along instead, making them blink at her. She turned around at them to explain, "It's quite easy to predict what she'll say."

After the _Little Mermaid_, where Luna was the only one who sang along, the group lazed around on the couch, feeling sleepy but having no desire to fall asleep.

"Let's play a game," Ginny suggested wearily.

"What kind of game?" Fred hid his yawn.

"Truth or Dare, maybe?"

"Not with Fred and George," Hermione shook her head as the boys picked their heads up.

"Why not, Granger?" Fred asked, frowning at her.

"Yeah, why not?" George grinned instead.

"You know why – I saw you play that with Lee Jordan once, you know," she sat up and frowned at the two.

"What happened?" Harry asked, rubbing at his eyes.

"He had to run down the halls stark naked and once McGonagall caught him, he had to say that he was performing a tribal mating ritual from the Black Foot tribe," Hermione snorted as the twins held back their laughter.

"Alright – nothing bad like that. After all, we _are_ in the presence of the female variety," Fred winked at her, making her roll her eyes but smile anyway.

"More like outnumbered by the female variety," George snorted, "You'd think Harry would help us out but _noooo _– "

"Hey!" Harry shouted indignantly. Hermione giggled at them before coughing.

"Kylie, truth or dare?"

"I am no wimp, my good lady friend – so I choose dare!" Kylie proclaimed before wincing at the evil glint in her friend's eyes, "Err – too late to change it?"

"Oh yeah," she smirked before humming tapping a finger to her chin, "I dare you to…bump into Malfoy!"

Kylie got incredibly red, glaring at her as the others blinked.

"What does that mean? Start a fight with him?" Harry blinked.

"Oh, we'll do that," Fred and George said, waving their hands at that.

"No – she's got to bump into Malfoy because she _likes_ him," Hermione laughed again, standing up on the couch and bouncing lightly as Kylie looked ready to murder her. The girl finally snapped and chased after her with a growl.

"You promised! You promised you'd never tell!" she yelled as she chased after her. "I am going to get kicked out of Gryffindor because of you!"

"No you won't – if the guy wasn't a jerkface to us, I might've liked him too," Ginny shrugged before wincing, "Okay, I take that back. Blondes just don't work for me."

Fred mumbled something to her, making her chunk a pillow at him as he laughed.

Kylie sighed and sat down in her spot, rubbing her eyes as Hermione grabbed the popcorn bucket and sat down on the floor next to Harry. "Okay. Err – Harry, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," he shrugged.

She thought about it for a few moments, "Have you ever had sex?"

Hermione coughed and choked on her popcorn as Harry laughed at the question. Ginny gasped and pounded on Hermione's back, even going on after the popcorn had been dislodged.

"Alright, Ginny – _alright, Ginny!_" she yelped, jerking away from her friend.

"Saved your life!" she proclaimed before bouncing up onto the couch next to George, who picked her up and put her in his lap, telling her sleepily that she was his space heater.

"No," Harry answered with another laugh, "Why'd you pick that?"

"I really don't know," Kylie laughed back at him.

"Luna, Truth or Dare?" he asked.

"Truth," she said simply.

"Err – how often do you go into the Muggle world?"

"When at home, I usually go once a week. Mrs. Dufrense is rather nice, she enjoys the company," she answered airily before turning to Ginny, "Truth or Dare?"

She thought about it for a moment before answering slowly, "Tru – dare?"

"I dare you to go up to McGonagall during class and ask her if she'd like some Meow Mix," she said innocently, as if she didn't care that this was something devious. Harry laughed as Ginny sighed and slumped against George.

"Fine. Georgie, truth or dare?"

"Dare – and for Merlin's sake, Ginny, think up a good one."

"I dare you to kiss Hermione."

"_What_?" Hermione, George and Fred all exclaimed, Hermione choking on her popcorn again as Fred jumped up, blinking at his wide-awake twin and smirking little sister.

"On the lips, gotta be more than ten seconds, and…I don't know if I should be mean and make it French or not," she tapped a finger to her lips and smirked at him.

"And if I refuse?" he was glaring down at her now as Fred sighed and helped Hermione breathe again.

"You have to kiss Filch instead," she cackled as he glared at her.

He cleared his throat and glanced at Fred, who gave him a one shouldered shrug, but was frowning down at the floor anyway.

"I refuse!" Hermione yelped, a finger pointed to the sky, "I don't wish to be part of this dare!"

"Too bad, ya gotta!"

"I don't see _any_ rules that say that I have to!"

"It's understood!"

"Not by me!"

"Hermione Jean Granger – "

"Ginevra Molly Weasley!" she cut off, making Ginny gasp and bolt up from George's lap, Hermione scrambling up as well and shoving her popcorn to Harry, who munched on it happily with Luna.

"This is better than _the Lion King_," Kylie whispered as she watched the two girls, completely unaware with the rest of them that George stood up and shoved Fred into his spot, assuming the role of his twin as Fred did the same. Luna, however, did notice this, and smiled slightly at him as he put a finger to his lips and winked at her.

"You pulled the name thing!" Ginny yelped.

"You did it first!"

"Girls, girls, girls," Fred stood up, pretending he was George and stepping closer, "It's just a simple kiss. Ten seconds and that's it, Granger."

Hermione blushed as Ginny fist-pumped the air, grinning madly. She glanced back at George, who winked and grinned. Kylie saw this and gasped happily, gripping onto Harry's arm and startling him.

As Fred leaned in, the door snapped open, having the girls – and the real George – shriek and pull out their wands to point it at the blonde haired Slytherin, who put his hands up and blinked at them. Kylie paled noticeably when she noticed that it was Draco Malfoy.

He glared at the group, "You do realize it's after hours, right?'

Hermione huffed, hands on her hips, "You do realize you don't have rounds tonight, right?"

They glared at each other before sighing, looking at each other dully.

"Don't tell anybody I came in here?" he asked.

"Don't turn us in?"

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Oh Kylie, dear!" George sang, making her scream and dash into the bathroom. Malfoy arched an eyebrow and watched her go before shaking his head.

"What's going on here, anyway?" he asked as Harry crawled underneath the coffee table and glared at him with Ginny and Luna on either side, the three still sharing the popcorn. He blinked at Fred and George, "You two don't even go to school here anymore."

"Yeah, but who says we can't visit?" George frowned as Hermione sighed and went to go retrieve Kylie.

"Have you been the ones who keep setting off those portable swamps in front of Snape's office?"

"And if we are?" Fred arched an eyebrow.

"Nice one," he shrugged simply, making the twins blink.

"Kylie, please come out, nothing is going to happen," Hermione promised as Ginny stood up and smirked, walking over lightly to the door. Kylie warily stepped outside, walking along cautiously as Ginny trailed along unnoticed behind her. Once Ginny deemed her close enough, she yelled out 'Dementor!' loudly. Kylie shrieked and whirled around, pointing at her uselessly as she had left her wand on the couch. She stepped back, colliding with Malfoy and sending them both into the floor. Kylie popped up, gaping at him with wide eyes before jumping to her feet and running back into the bathroom.

"OH MY MERLIN, GINNY, I HATE YOU!" she exclaimed as she slammed the door, sending Ginny into a fit of laughs as Hermione huffed.

"Ginny!" she reprimanded, "I'd _just_ gotten her to come out of there!"

"What the bloody hell was _that_?" Malfoy asked, propped up on his elbows as Harry and Luna peeked out from over the couch, grinning madly as the twins snickered.

"Just – just go, Malfoy," Hermione sighed, making the Slytherin roll his eyes and stand, popping his back into place with a wince before leaving. "He's gone, Honey!"

"I'm mortified," she squeaked from behind the door.

"Oh, Sweetie, he'll probably think it was Ginny being Ginny," she soothed, sitting by the door and speaking to it, "Please come out."

"You made the stupid dare!" she muffled through the door, "I hate you just as much!"

"But I wasn't going to make you go through with it!"

There was a slight pause before Kylie opened the door a crack, looking at her sadly, "Can we just go to bed now? No more Truth or Dare?"

"No more Truth or Dare," she promised, standing up and helping her up as well. Harry plopped on the couch and grabbed a pillow, getting comfy as Ginny stretched and yawned, laying on her back above Harry on the floor. His nose twitched when her hair tickled his face, but he sighed and ignored it anyway. Luna crawled up on top of the table, somehow managing to curl up like a cat and looking quite comfortable. Kylie trudged her way over to a corner of the couch, making a little pillow fort around herself.

Hermione sighed before turning to the twins, "You guys staying?"

"Nah – work in the morning," George shrugged before heading towards another door, which had been unnoticeable by them before, "See you later, Granger. Kind of glad I didn't have to kiss you."

She wrinkled her nose at him playfully, "Same here."

He laughed quietly before leaving, Fred staying behind to smile at her.

"Goodnight, Hermione," he grinned before pecking her on the cheek, "Sweet dreams." She blinked at him as she watched him go, lifting a hand to her cheek.

Kylie peeked through her fort, smirking back at Ginny and Harry as Luna smiled with her eyes still closed. Harry silently chuckled and shook his head, making Ginny grin and pluck his glasses from his face to set them on the floor next to her. The group settled down into sleep, Hermione joining them on the couch to stare up at the ceiling.

* * *

><p>"Hermione," Kylie called softly, making the young woman turn to her friend. "It – it's time to go."<p>

Hermione sighed, looking down at the familiar floor. After the war, Hermione and a few others, including Kylie, had decided to go back to Hogwarts – their 'eighth year,' as they called it. Harry had won, of course, but a lot of others had died or went missing. One of the missing ones had been Fred and George, nobody finding them for a year, making others assume they were dead.

"Five minutes, okay?" she asked, making Kylie bite her lip before sighing and nodding, exiting out of the Room of Requirement. She bumped into Draco on her way out, staring at each other curiously before he nodded his head to the shut door.

"She in there?"

"Yeah," Kylie nodded.

He frowned, "I was never close to her, but Merlin…hasn't she been through enough?"

Kylie nodded back before walking down the stairs with him in silence, until he asked, "So what was with Weaslette shoving you into me in sixth year?"

She stopped and giggled nervously, "O-oh that?" He arched and eyebrow and smirked at her before nodding. She sighed, getting ready to tell him.

Meanwhile, Hermione was saying goodbye to the Room of Requirement. They'd used the Slumber Party Room numerous times, usually for somebody's in-school birthday or whenever they needed cheering up. Fred and George always appeared, scaring the living daylights out of them before hilarity ensued.

She sighed and sat back down on the couch, her hands up to cover her mouth as she smiled fondly at a stain some soda had made the last time they'd been there together. She felt tears welling up at the thought that that was the last happy memory she'd had with everyone – Kylie, Harry, Ginny, Luna, Fred and George. Ginny had found the soft drink and was trying to outrun Harry, who was trying to take it away from her, when they tripped over Luna and poured half the drink onto Hermione, Kylie and Fred, the other half falling onto the floor. George had laughed loudly, pointing at the soaked group as they glared at him.

"Oh Merlin," she said thickly, tears falling down now, "Did you two really have to go? I mean, if you'd have come back a week later I might not've cared but – a _year_. A year went by without you two. Merlin, George, you left Luna all alone! Fred, you left _me_ all alone! You prat, I was completely in love with you and you left me!" She choked, whimpering as she covered her mouth with her hands. She'd said it. Granted, it was to an empty room, but she'd actually said it. "I love you," she whispered, moving her hands back. Her eyebrows furrowed as she said it, before saying it a bit louder and with more confidence, "I love you." She gave a watery laugh, raking a hand through her hair to get it out of her face, "I love you, Fred."

She closed her eyes, trying to gather herself together to go down to the carriages that would take them to the Hogsmeade Train Station. She froze when she felt somebody's breath against her ear before they whispered, "Love you too."

She jumped up with a scream and whirled around, blinking as she looked at Fred, who had been kneeling down on the floor to get to her ear. He smirked at her and stood, only to step down to her level, using the couch along the way.

"Fred?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Yes," he nodded, biting back a witty, yet humorous to others, comment. He arched an eyebrow as she gaped at him, deciding that he might as well let at least one out, "You love me? A rather bit unconventional, don't you think, considering we haven't even been on a date yet?"

She didn't answer, instead tackling him into the couch, sitting over him as he grinned and held her waist. She grinned back, "You're really here, and this isn't something my poor, poor brain thought up in order to send me to sharing a room with Lockhart?"

He chuckled, shaking his head, "I'm really here, Love. Watch, I'll prove it." He leaned forward, kissing her on the lips gently before smirking at her once he pulled away, "You know, I was fully prepared to kiss you when Ginny dared George to."

She blinked before grinning, "That was you instead of George?"

"Whenever you and Ginny were arguing about something, George and I switched. I was going to kiss you until Malfoy walked in. See? I'm here, real, and completely yours." He arched an eyebrow, "Unless you don't want me?"

She snorted, kissing him again, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Nonsense." He laughed as they kissed again, pulling back after a few moments.

"You're going to be late," he whispered.

"Too bad," she shrugged, resting her forehead against his as he grinned.

"Knew you couldn't follow the rules forever."

She rolled her eyes, pulling her head back, "Of course not. I'm dating you, aren't I?"

He growled playfully before shoving her into the couch now, making her scream a little before laughing.

* * *

><p>"Where's Hermione?" Ginny asked worriedly as Kylie fidgeted, trying desperately to rid herself of the blush that Malfoy had given her.<p>

"Err – she was in the Room of Requirement, but she said she'd be down in five minutes," she answered.

"How long ago was that?" she asked.

Kylie thought about it for a few moments before wincing, "Thirteen minutes ago."

"The carriages are getting ready to leave," Ginny huffed, "And Luna isn't here either. Think something could've happened to them?"

Kylie shrugged as a response before the door was flung open with gusto, Luna and George grinning happily at them. Ginny gave a shriek and catapulted herself at her brother. Kylie giving a happy little scream as well.

"George! You're back! You and Fred are back!" Ginny exclaimed happily before gasping, "That's what's taking Hermione so long!"

George let out a loud laugh, running his hands through his hair before helping Luna into the carriage, "Well, I am currently not at liberty to say, but you're not going to see Hermione on the train."

Her eyebrows shot up and he winced, ushering her in after Luna, "Not like that, like – Fred taking Hermione back to the flat. And not like that either, like – bonding, I think. I don't know. Just stop me from talking."

"Hey, are you coming with?" Kylie asked as he climbed in after his sister.

"Oh yeah – taking Granger's place in your little circle," he grinned before humming, "Smells like fruit."

"Perfume," they answered collectively before snorting and giggling at his scrunched up expression. He rolled his eyes and grinned before turning to Kylie and blinking.

"Is that a hickey?" he asked, making her eyes widen and slap her hand over her neck.

* * *

><p><strong>Haha, that was funny! :D Sorry, 4ever sweet, if I made it a little "out there" when it came to Malfoy, but I couldn't really think of anything besides what I wrote. So, umm, thanks for reading, and thanks for getting us up to 100 reviews. Let's aim for 200, huh? :D<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	19. Grant Me Grace

**So, umm, I had this cute little idea for a while now. And then at the end, you're gonna really want to read that. Or not. You might not even care. In fact, you might not even be reading this at all. You might have just skipped on down to the actual story. Well, I've got _news_ for you! I will not be silenced! I will keep tying until you look back up here and read this bloody author's note! Hey, _HEY!_ I am _writing to you!_ Don't you ignore me! I AM YOUR DEALER!**

**…**

**Just, just ignore me now…. :|**

* * *

><p>Fred huffed, glaring up at the ceiling as he propped his feet up on the table in front of him. George kicked his legs off, sitting down next to him on the couch and staring with him up at the ceiling. The two sat there in silence until a little redhead poked up and bright blue eyes stared at Fred.<p>

"Da'ee," she said, making Fred turn to her and smile, "Story."

"I thought you were asleep, Grace?" he asked the little four year old, picking her up and setting her in his lap.

"Nuh-ah," she said, curling up against his chest and grinning at her Uncle George, who smirked back at her before going back to looking up at the ceiling, "Tell me about her."

Fred looked at where she was pointing, finding a copy of _the Prophet_. Right smack dab on the cover was Harry and Hermione, grinning and laughing as Ron tumbled down the stairs in the background, popping back up afterwards to see if anybody had seen his blunder. He arched an eyebrow at the picture of his brother before turning back to his daughter.

Grace's mother, Khloe, had been married to Fred for a month before they mutually agreed on a divorce. Khloe had let her true colors show as soon as they said 'I do,' being a spiteful woman who really wanted nothing to do with him or his family. Khloe soon learned that Fred was not dying any time soon, and if he did, he'd leave everything to George and his blood family, not her. Eight months after the divorce papers were signed, Fred came home with a little pink bundle and looked at George pleadingly as he gaped.

Grace was smart, becoming a favorite of her grandparents and uncles and aunt. She had her father's hair, eyes, basically everything except for her nose, which was button-like and most likely what Khloe's natural nose had been like.

"Hermione Granger?" Fred questioned, turning to his daughter. Hermione had never once seen Grace, always finding herself tied up at the Ministry or trying to keep Harry out of the paparazzi's way. Fred actually even doubted she knew Grace existed, let alone that he got married briefly to a monster. "Why do you want to know about her?"

"She's pretty," she said, taking the paper from his hand and watching as Hermione continued to smile and laugh at the camera, holding onto Harry's shoulder as his hand crept up to form bunny ears behind her head.

Fred glanced at his twin, who was staring up at the ceiling with forced innocence and twirled his thumbs. "Yes, she is."

"Pretty, pretty, pretty," Grace sang to her blue socks with yellow polka-dots. "But what's she like?"

"She's nice, and smart and – "

"Pretty," Grace interjected, making Fred sigh and grin.

"Yes, pretty."

"Were you friends?" she asked, her chubby little baby fingers tracing Hermione's face.

"I think so," he winced, unsure of whether they had been in school or not.

"Did you like her?"

"Yeah – she was nice, like I said, and was funny sometimes too."

Grace settled against Fred, frowning at the picture, "Can I meet her?"

"One day," Fred promised before standing up, settling Grace against his side, "Come on, you need to get to bed."

"Can I keep it?" she asked, waving the picture of Hermione, Harry and a falling Ron around.

He arched an eyebrow at her, "Why do you want to keep it?"

She held the picture out for him to see clearly, frowning at him as she explained, "Pretty."

He sighed, smiling at her and moving the picture out of the way, "Alright, you can keep it."

"Mmkay, bed now," she smiled, waving to George as Fred carried her to her room, shutting the door silently. George grinned back as Fred crossed his arms over his chest, frowning a little and smiling a little at the same time before he shook his head and went to his room.

* * *

><p>Fred sighed, running his hands over his eyes and he checked around his ankles. Frowning when he didn't see Grace, he scanned farther out before calling out to George once he couldn't see her, "George?"<p>

"Yeah, Mate?" George asked, unseen by Fred thanks to a shelf.

"Grace with you?"

George's head popped up, eyes wide, "I thought she was with you."

Fred's eyes grew wider before they tore off in opposite directions in search of the little girl.

Meanwhile, Grace stood in the middle of the street, hiccupping quietly and rubbing at her eyes. She'd followed a fly out of the shop and now had no idea where she was. She wanted her daddy, but she didn't know where he was either.

"Sweetheart?" a nice voice asked her, making her pulling her hands away from her watery eyes to blink at Hermione Granger's face, giving a few sniffles. "Are you okay?"

Grace shook her head, her face scrunching up as she threatened to cry more.

"Honey, where's your dad? Your mum?"

"I – I 'unno," Grace cried, her little shoulder shaking.

"Do you know your last name?" Hermione asked, fighting very hard from hugging the poor little girl.

Grace thought about it for a moment before sniffing back her cries, "W-Weasley."

Hermione blinked before grinning, "Oh, Angel, it's okay. We'll get you to your family soon enough. You didn't wander too far away." She stood up, offering her hand to her. Grace sniffed again and took it, walking along with Hermione until they came to a stop in front of a door. Hermione opened the door for her and allowed her to go through first, the two stopping in search of Fred or George. Fred came through first, George following along behind closely.

"I can't find her – oh Merlin, I can't find her," Fred worried before George gave a loud sigh of relief and nudged his brother. Grace beamed and ran off, being picked up by her father and hugged tightly. "Oh, Merlin, Grace, don't do that to me again," he sighed into her hair.

"Sorry, Da'ee," she muffled into his shoulder before pulling back, "I met her!"

"Met who?" he questioned.

"Pretty Lady from da Picture!" she waved over at Hermione, who smiled and waved back as Fred grinned and stepped towards her, but George ran forward first and picked her up to twirl her around.

"Granger! We missed you!" he said as he sat her down on her feet, "Where on Earth have you been?"

"Ministry," Hermione laughed.

"Oh please – Percy works there and we see him all the time," George frowned before adding, "And we don't even want to!"

She laughed again, sweeping her hair back to grin at the two, "Well, Percy isn't an Unspeakable, is he?"

"Oh yeah, you got that, didn't you?" Fred questioned, settling Grace on his hip, "How's that going?"

"I'm actually thinking about quitting – I've been so paranoid about having anybody figure out what I do, and I can't see everybody when I want and it's killing me."

"Don't die!" Grace gasped, making them laugh as Hermione smiled at her.

"Don't worry, Angel – I'm not going anywhere." She turned back to Fred, "How did that little sweetheart ever come from a prankster like you?"

"I think Luna might've corrupted her – she's around an awful lot," he said with a quick glance to George. "Anyway – yeah, this is Grace. Grace, this is Hermione Granger. We were friends in school."

"You're really pretty," Grace said, leaning over her father's arm to look at her upside down. "I wanna be pretty like you, too."

"Thank you, Grace, and you're already cute enough," Hermione smiled back.

Fred arched an eyebrow at his twin, who was smirking behind his hand and shrugged innocently back at him.

"So – you coming over to the Burrow this Sunday? Mum keeps thinking you've ditched us for some other redheaded family – like you're cheating on us or something," George shrugged.

She grinned, "I'll have to stop by to quell her worries then, hmm?"

"Naturally," he smiled back.

"You're coming over?" Grace practically squealed, her hands flying to her cheeks as she beamed, "You gotta - you gotta – you gotta gotta gotta!"

She laughed as Grace attempted bouncing in her father's arms, only this made Fred sigh and set her down on the ground so she could jump around.

"Peese oh peese oh peese!" she continued, making Hermione stoop down to smile at her.

"Well in that case, I'll just have to come," she said, making Grace beam and launch herself into her arms. Hermione blinked back, startled at the contact before laughing and hugging her back as Fred grinned and shook his head.

* * *

><p>"HERMIONE!" Harry, Ron and Ginny launched themselves at her, having her scream and shield herself from her friends. She laughed with them as they ended up on a big pile on the floor, Ginny hugging her leg, Ron her torso and Harry around her shoulders.<p>

"Hermione, you came back for me!" Ginny smiled, popping up and grinning at her friend.

"Nah-uh, she came back for me!" Ron argued with his sister.

"Oh those poor delusional souls," Harry sighed, sitting next to her with his arms around her, "Don't they know you've come back for me?"

She laughed and hugged Harry back, allowing him to help her up so she could hug Ron and Ginny. A little squeal of delight alerted the presence of Grace as she practically knocked Hermione back down, jumping up and down with a big grin.

"You came!" she danced around her, "You came, you came, you came!"

Hermione laughed, picking up the little girl to hug her, "Of course I did, Honey, I told you I would, didn't I?"

"Oh, _I_ see how it is," Ginny sniffed playfully, "You won't come when one of _us_ asks you, but as soon as _Grace_ asks, you're all for it."

"Well, have you _seen_ this little girl?" she asked, grinning into Grace's hair as the little girl grinned back at her aunt. Ginny laughed and pecked her niece's forehead.

"Of course, and she's darling."

"There you are!" George grinned as he towed Fred along, "We were wondering why Grace just jumped off and ran through the house!"

"Like 'er," Grace smiled as she hugged Hermione tighter.

Hermione smiled and hummed back, "I like you too, Grace. Seriously," she turned back to the twins, "How on Earth did this little girl get so sweet when raised by you two?"

"It's mostly Fred, Mum, Luna, Ginny and Harry working with her – I'm the cool Uncle George," he laughed as Fred rolled his eyes.

"She wasn't always so sweet – we think it just has something to do with you. Really, you should've seen her before," Fred sighed as Grace poked her head through Hermione's hair, frowning at her dad.

"Like 'er!" she exclaimed once more before hiding underneath the curly brown hair once more. Fred chuckled and stepped forward, picking Hermione's hair up gently to arch an eyebrow down at her.

"Grace, do you want to go see Teddy?" he asked, thinking that she'd run off to go play with her best friend.

"Nah," she shook her head and looking up at him dully, "I like 'er."

He blinked, surprised that she wouldn't even go see Teddy when Hermione smiled and pulled back to look down at her.

"Grace, why don't you go and say 'hello' to Teddy? He'll get awfully upset if you don't," she said.

"Okay!" she said brightly before she was set on the floor, squealing and running to go tackle the blue haired boy. She laughed as Teddy blinked up at her before smiling.

"Hi Grace!" he said as she crawled up off of him.

"Hi Teddy! I came to say hi to you so you wunnit be upset!"

"Okay," he shrugged before blinking and gasping once he stood up, "Aunty Minny?"

"Huh?" Grace blinked.

Teddy pointed at Hermione, who was hugging Fred at that moment, "Aunty Minny."

"Nuh-uh," Grace shook her head at him.

"Well then who is she?" Teddy asked, blinking at her as she scrunched up her face and thought before smiling and putting her hands on her hips.

"She's my mummy!" she said proudly.

Teddy scratched his head, "Aunty Minny is your mummy?"

"Uhh," she thought about it for another moment before smiling and giving a nod, "Yes."

"Is she married to your daddy?"

"Umm," she looked down at her shoes before back up at him, "Wassat mean again?"

"It means that they're mister and missies," he answered, "Then they get the stork bird to give 'em a baby, then they're mummy and daddy."

"Well, then they gotta be married, 'cause that's my da'ee and that's my mummy," Grace shrugged as Teddy nodded.

"Neat. Let's go see if Gramma will give us food before lunch."

"Mmkay!" Grace skipped off behind him.

* * *

><p>Fred pinched the bridge of his nose, glaring up at the ceiling again, this time with a letter in his hand.<p>

_Dear Mister F. Weasley,_

_We are sorry to inform you that the custody of your daughter, Grace Skye Weasley, is being argued with your former wife, Khloe de Shanal. The final hearing will be held on August 1st of this year. During that time period, Grace must stay with a non-relative, somebody who isn't a close friend of yours. We understand that this may be difficult to do, and the Ministry will be happy to hold Grace in a foster home until the final hearing._

_Sorry for the inconvenience,_

_Natasha Kleft,_

_Secretary of Wizengamot and Wizengamot Administration Services_

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. August was still a month away, and Fred didn't know anybody who wasn't close to him that he could leave Grace with – they were either close, or he wouldn't even trust them with watching after George, let alone Grace. He frowned up at the ceiling again before freezing and wincing. He stood up, looking through the crack in Grace's door to make sure that George was still knocked out there, both of them snoozing from the story he'd read. Fred walked out of the door, going down into the empty shop to Apparate.

* * *

><p>"One second!" Hermione called out to the knocking at her front door, trying desperately to sound like she wasn't fighting with her mops and brooms. Crookshanks was swatting at one, meowing loudly at her his progress. She gave up with a growl and walked over to the door, her shoes making 'squish-squish' sounds as she did. She blinked at the redhead standing there, who blinked even more at the state of her apartment. She checked behind her to hang her head and groan, opening the door wider for him.<p>

"I lost my wand, and I tried using magic that didn't include it, and it failed," she huffed, standing beside him as he shut the door and stared out at it. Without a word, Fred waved his own wand, making the water vanish and the brooms and mops stop and clatter to the floor. Crookshanks, who had been battling with the mop attempting to clean him on the back of the couch, let out a yowl as he plummeted to the floor before strutting by as if he hadn't been harmed.

"Thank you," she smiled back at him before tilting her head, "Need anything?"

He sighed, 'Accio'ing her wand to him to hand over to her, "Let's see – my ex-wife wants custody of Grace – most likely for the money I'd have to pay her – and I can't have her until August, which is the final trial. I can't leave her with family or extremely close friends, but the only one I can trust with her and who I'm not really close to is you."

Hermione blinked up at him, "You want me to take care of Grace for a month?"

"Please," he pleaded, looking at her worriedly, "Grace can't go to her mother – Khloe is a monster who would have her traumatized."

"Khloe de Shanal?" Hermione questioned, her eyes growing darker, "You mean the woman who my ex-boyfriend cheated on me with?"

He blinked before smirking at her, "I take it you're in?"

"Hell yes," she huffed before shaking her head, "I can't believe you were actually _married_ to that woman, no matter how short of a partnership it was!"

"I can't either, believe me," he snorted before taking her by surprise and hugging her, "Thanks, Granger."

She sighed into his shoulder, "Fred, you really need to stop calling me that. One day, hopefully, I will not _be_ a Granger, so you better break the habit now."

He laughed and pulled back, grinning at her, "Of course, _Granger_."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway.

* * *

><p>"Grace, you know I don't want to leave you," Fred said, kneeling down to put his hands on his daughter's shoulders as she sniffled. "But I have to if I want to keep you, alright? Do you understand that?"<p>

She hiccupped and rubbed her eye with her sleeve, nodding before attempting to hide herself in his shirt. He chuckled lightly at her before pecking her forehead, knocking on the door as he stood up. Hermione opened the door and winced as Grace refused to turn and look at her. Fred shook his head at her, knowing that she was thinking that Grace didn't want to stay with her before he tapped his daughter on the back.

"Grace, don't you want to see who you'll be staying with?"

Grace turned and blinked at her before gasping and grinning, "I gotta stay with _you_?"

Hermione nodded and smiled back as Fred deposited her into her arms.

Grace gaped at her father before beaming at him, "Like 'er."

He laughed, smiling at her sadly, "I know. Bye, Grace, I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Da'ee," she said, reaching forward to peck him on the cheek to make him grin, "I love you."

"I love you too," he sighed before reaching forward and hugging Hermione, "Thanks, Hermione."

"Anytime," she smiled back before reaching up on her toes and pecking him on the forehead. Fred sighed and leaned back to Apparate away, making Grace frown and stare at the place where he'd been.

"C'mon, Angel," Hermione said as she shut the door behind them, walking towards the living room, "You want to see where you'll be staying for a while?"

"Sure," she said, laying her head on Hermione's shoulder.

* * *

><p>Fred fidgeted in his seat, feeling uncomfortable in the courtroom. George sat down next to him, taking in a deep breath before shooting his twin a grin that he couldn't return. Khloe was at another table with her attorney, looking smug as she glared at the twins. The secretary who had sent Fred his letter was twitching and looking worriedly at the twins as the judge walked up. Harry patted Fred's shoulder behind him, signaling that he, Ron, Ginny, Luna and the rest of his family and friends were right behind him.<p>

"The Wizengamot calls to order the case trial number 1026, a custody debate between Miss Khloe Laufeia de Shanal and Mister Frederick Gideon Weasley over Grace Skye Weasley. The court recognizes the first witness."

"Witness? There are witnesses? How can there be witnesses, Forge?" Fred hissed to his twin, who looked as worried as he did.

The door opened, Fred whirling around in his seat before blinking as Grace hid behind Hermione's legs. Hermione had only had enough time to get Grace into the sundress and ponytail, as she was wearing what she'd been wearing as they played around her apartment. This consisted of shorts, a pale yellow tank top and sneakers, which was hardly courtroom wear. Hermione whispered to Grace, something that made the little girl step up onto the witness chair and wait patiently for Khloe's attorney to step up in front of her.

"Grace, they're going to ask you a few questions, okay?" Hermione asked, kneeling down in front of Grace so that the attorney, a man with greased black hair that would've made Snape envious, huffed and tapped his foot impatiently. Grace nodded, making Hermione smile and kiss the top of her head before standing in front of the stands, a little bit away from Fred. Harry and Luna slid down to stare at her worriedly, making her do the same to them.

"Grace, do you know who your father is?" the man asked.

Grace nodded as George sucked in a deep breath and frowned at the man, mentally cursing him out.

"Do you know who your mother is?" he questioned, making her nod again, "Can you say her name?"

"No," Grace said quietly, shaking her head lightly.

"Can you point to her, please?"

"No," she said again, making him blink.

"Why not?"

She looked up at him as if the answer were obvious, "Pointing's rude."

The adults besides Khloe grinned and laughed quietly at this, a few glancing back at Hermione.

"Well, can you wave at her for us then?" he asked after trying to cough back his laugh.

She nodded and turned, scanning the row of women above her father – nowhere near Khloe – before turning to Hermione and smiling sweetly to wave. Hermione blinked and waved back numbly as Fred and George exchanged wide eyed glances.

"Err – no, Grace, your mum," he fidgeted, "Please wave at your mum."

"I did," she frowned up at him.

"Grace, Miss Granger is not your mum." He winced and looked exasperated at Khloe, who looked ready to murder the brunette. "Can you explain to us what 'mum' means?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "It's somebody who takes care of you and loves you, and reads you bedtime stories and calls you names."

"What kind of names?"

"Nice names. Mummy calls me 'Sweetheart' and 'Angel.' And 'Honey' too."

Hermione looked like she was tearing up, Harry leaning down to run a hand through her hair and grin down at her.

"Ahh – no further questions," the attorney scrambled back to scoot his chair as far away from Khloe as possible. George jumped up, grinning as he adjusted his suit before walking over to his niece.

"Hey, Grace," he smiled as she smiled back.

"Unca George!" she grinned, "You been takin' care of Ducky?"

"Yes, I have," he grinned back before glancing up at the judge, "Rubber ducky, a Muggle thing we got her. Anyway – Grace, can you please ask that lady over there a few questions, then ask Hermione the same ones?"

"Yeah-huh!" she said happily as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. She nodded once he asked her if she heard them all before turning in her seat to face Khloe. "When's my birthday?"

"April first," she answered confidently, shooting a smirk towards Fred as he smiled at her incredulously. Those behind him did the same, Hermione turning her head to laugh with Harry.

"How old am I?" she asked next.

"Six," she practically laughed at Fred, although she didn't see him grin and shake his head at her. Hermione was practically having a laughing fit, everybody on the stands doing the same as George turned towards the judge's stand and disguised his laughs as coughs.

"What's my favorite color?" she frowned at her, patting down her dress to at least _help_ the daft woman.

But she didn't listen, "Pink!"

Grace looked aghast at such an accusation before turning to Hermione and smiling happily, "My birthday?"

"October seventh, Love," Hermione sobered up and smiled back at her.

"How old am I?"

"You're four, Sweetie."

"My favorite color?" she stood up in the chair and picked up the top layer of her dress.

Hermione laughed and smiled wider, "Orange, because it's the same hair color of your dad, uncles, aunt and even you."

"Do I even have to say who won?" Grace asked the judge, smiling happily at him. He chuckled and shook his head before the attorney jumped back up.

"One more question, your Honor!"

George scowled at him, "You said 'no further questions,' you butt-munching - !"

"Mister Weasley!" the judge barked, making George throw his hands up in the air as he walked back to the table with Fred, Grace giggling behind him.

"Grace, are your mum and dad _married_?" he asked.

"Yah," she nodded, making everybody blink at her.

"Let the records show that Miss Granger and Mister Weasley are, in fact, not married," the attorney announced.

Grace frowned up at him, "Yah-huh, Mister! Teddy said that they got married and the stork gave them me, so they became Mummy and Da'ee!"

"Who is Teddy?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"My bestie," she said simply.

"Teddy really is real – we can go get him if you'd like to ask another kid meaningless questions," George was still scowling.

"The Ministry defines a good home for a child as having 'both a mother and a father, who are bound together in holy matrimony, and a safe, stable environment,'" he recited from memory, ignoring George.

"That's not fair!" Fred finally jumped up, pointing over at Khloe, "That little – little _monster_ isn't married either!"

Khloe only smirked and flashed an engagement ring at him. He paled and sat back down, setting his head in his hands to stare at the table top.

Grace fidgeted and looked up at the judge, "I wanna go home. I wanna go back to my da'ee."

Khloe spoke up, "That's not going to happen, _Darling_ – you're never going to see your father again!"

Grace began to tear up, Hermione rushing forward and plucking her out of the chair to hold her close, bouncing her lightly.

"Shush, Grace, shush – you will too, don't listen to her," Hermione soothed, walking back to her spot as Harry climbed down and hugged the two, saying that it was from Fred since he wasn't able to do it.

"Err – Mister Fred Weasley, please?" the attorney practically squeaked, having Fred walk towards the chair and sit there dully, glaring at the man and his former wife. "Mister Weasley, are you dating Miss Granger?"

He glanced over at Hermione, who caught his eye and nodded quickly, "Yes."

"Since when?" the attorney asked, affronted, as this hadn't been on his records.

"Since she said 'yes,'" he smirked as he growled at him, "Look – err, what's your name?"

"Hackle."

"Look, Hackle – Hermione has cared about my daughter, she's looked after her for a month, even Grace says she's her mother."

"Did you just say she looked after her for the month during the waiting period for this trial?" he asked excitedly before belting out, "Nobody close and nobody from your family, Mister Weasley!"

"Yeah, and she wasn't then," he shook his head and smiled at him, "You're a pathetic little man, you know that? She _just_ said 'yes,' Hackle. We may not be close now, but I guarantee that I'm going to try to be."

He glared at Fred, "Do you even _like_ Miss Granger?"

Fred fidgeted, coughing and glancing back at his smirking twin and grinning family, "Err – w-well…."

"Answer the question, Mister Weasley," the judge ordered sternly.

He sighed, tilting his head back to say to the ceiling, "Yes, alright, _yes_. I've had the biggest crush on the bloody girl since my sixth year – maybe even before, I don't know. She's brilliant, okay? She's smart, she's funny, Grace already adores her, and that must say something but that girl is _stubborn_ when it comes to liking people. I think she got that from me. But she only saw a picture of her and loved her instantly."

Hermione was blushing brightly as Harry and George laughed and grinned at either her or Fred, who still refused to look at anybody.

The judge was smirking, "A simple 'yes' would've sufficed."

"I've been holding that in my head for years, your Honor, it had to come out eventually," he sighed, picking his head up to wince at her, where she wasn't looking at him and had her smile hidden by Grace's head.

Hackle groaned, "Just – just…" He stomped back to his seat, sitting down to glare at Fred. George stood to grin and wink at his twin.

"No further questions for my twin, your Honor," he smiled before adding, "Although I'd _love_ to ask Hermione Granger a few."

The judge chuckled and nodded, Fred walking to his seat as Grace was deposited to Harry. Hermione fidgeted as George stepped closer to the chair.

"Hi," he grinned, making her smile lightly.

"Hi, George."

"So – you just agreed to dating my twin, have you?"

"Yes," she nodded back.

"And how's that working out?"

"So far?" He nodded. "Awkwardly."

He chuckled before coughing, "And do you return his sentiments?"

She blushed, but held her head up higher and grinned a little, "Have since fifth year."

"Fifth year?" George yelled, taking a double take at her, "Are you telling me that I could've finished out Hogwarts without a moody twin because of you?"

"Objection!" Fred stood as the Weasleys cackled behind him. "Relevance?"

"Whatever," George huffed, shaking his head, "Look – do you swear to date Fred, even though he can sometimes be a downright goof, even though he's already got a kid, even though he's only the second handsomest twin in the world?"

She laughed and grinned, "Yes, I do."

"Great, I now pronounce you man and wife," he said as he twirled around to go back to his seat, smirking at his twin and Hermione's horrified gapes. "What? We were all thinking it, you know."

"Sit _down_, George," Fred ordered, shoving his twin into his seat. George laughed as Hackle nervously made his way up to Hermione. Hermione arched an eyebrow and frowned at him until he squeaked and hid behind his clipboard.

"Nothing else, your Honor," he squeaked before dashing back to his seat. Hermione grinned, looking smug at herself as Khloe growled.

"That will be all, Miss Granger," the judge grinned back at her, making her nod and walk back to Harry and Grace, taking the latter out of the former's arms. "The jury has reached decision, it seems."

"Have since the first two minutes," the head juror sighed as he stood up, "We find that Mister Fred Weasley is entirely capable of keeping sole custody of Grace Skye Weasley. And we congratulation Mister Weasley and Miss Granger on their new relationship."

"Case closed, stop bugging me," the judge glanced back at Fred and George as they grinned back. Fred let out a whoop and rushed to go hug Hermione and Grace, having Grace look confusedly over at her uncles as to why she was being squashed. Harry high-fived George as he and the other Weasleys shared grins.

"I do hope you have another girl – Grace already has Teddy to play with until they grow up and date," Luna said airily. Fred jerked back, holding his daughter as he glared up at the blonde.

"Just go to George, Luna," he ordered, making her shrug and dance off to her boyfriend. He coughed and looked over at Hermione, smiling lightly, "So…."

"Yeah," she shrugged, smiling back at him, "You've got Grace back."

"Yeah…well, thanks…Saturday sound good to you?"

Grace frowned up at him, wondering what they were talking about and why everybody was high-fiving.

Hermione knew though, smiling and nodding, "Saturday works."

"What is going on?" Grace finally asked.

Fred laughed and pecked her forehead, "Nothing, Love, everything's just worked out the way we wanted to."

"Oh," she said dully, laying her head against her dad's shoulder.

* * *

><p><em>Four Years Later<em>

"Ugh, Teddy," Grace wrinkled her nose at the mud-splattered boy, "Gross, don't let that get anywhere near my Nancy Drew!"

He sighed, plopping down next to her in the grass, "What is your _deal_, Grace? Usually you wouldn't care."

"I've only got a few of these left, Dana and Marissa have only left me those," she answered as he groaned.

"Stop complaining – you'd be complaining if you didn't have _any_ sisters," he pointed out.

She smiled fondly at him, "I know."

Teddy rolled his eyes back at her, looking up at the sky as she went back to her yellow book. She'd loved reading ever since her mum had introduced it to her, reading anything she could get her hands on since she was six. Her little sisters, four-year-old Dana and three-year-old Marissa, had only left her with a few books, as they decided that these things were coloring pages. Her mum and dad had offered to fix them, but she sighed and shook her head, wanting to do it herself when she was able to use magic.

Hermione had married Fred a year after they started dating, which George had exclaimed was 'not soon enough.' Grace couldn't figure out what the big deal was, and neither could Teddy. So what if he had to carry rings, and she had to throw flowers? Although, she had to admit, her mum did look pretty walking down the aisle. And it had been funny when George yanked his twin out of the way, standing in his place until Fred and Harry tugged him back and Fred retook his place.

"Aren't they already married?" Grace whispered to Teddy as they stood back and watched them repeat after the balding guy reading from a book.

"Yeah," he huffed before shrugging, "Whatever. Maybe it's just so they can get another baby."

"Will they have to do this _every_ time?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Oh yeah," he said.

When Dana came along, Grace totally believed him and his theory. But after Marissa happened, she doubted him. When they turned seven and Uncle George and Aunt Luna had twins, and Teddy had no explanation for her, she stopped believing him when it came to grown-ups. Even though he was a year older and she should 'totally believe him when it came to that kind of stuff,' she just shrugged and left it alone. After all, whatever they did to get the stork to bring babies was working. She doubted they needed to get married every single time.

"Teddy," Grace said suddenly, causing him to turn to her.

"Yeah?"

"Where the heck does the stork _get_ the babies?"

"Uhh," he said after a slight pause. Grace sighed and shook her head, standing up and walking off with her book. "Wait! I totally have this one! Grace, wait! Hey!"

* * *

><p><strong>…Mmyeah. Anyway, what I wanted you to read down here was to go to my profile and vote on which chapter of <em>Headaches<em> you liked best. Whoever wins, I'll draw a scene from that and post it on deviantART. If I get bored enough during the summer, I'll draw a scene from each one. But I know there should be a link to that on my profile, but there isn't. You can just google GothiciPodManiac and it should pop up. If not, I'll put up a link once it's been posted.**

**Have a nice day!**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	20. Yet If Hope Has Flown Away

**So, this chapter is going to be angsty before it can be happy and lovely and all of that stuff.**

**If you have it, turn on _My Heart Will Go On_. If not, go to Grooveshark _right now_ and type it in. Listen to that sucker on repeat until it starts to get happy. I think it helps loads with the first few parts. Talk to you about it later!**

* * *

><p>Fred slid across the tile floor, stopping before he could hit her as he untied her wrists and ankles from the floor. He glanced back to make sure that George was doing fine against the few Deatheaters that hadn't left upon seeing the Weasley twins, Lee Jordan, Angelina, Alicia, Katie and Oliver. He looked back at her when he heard her whimper, tears falling down to mix with the dirt and blood on her face.<p>

"Fred," she cried, opening her eyes as he swept her hair back from her face, putting a cloth over the word _Mudblood_ etched into her arm.

"I'm here, Hermione," he soothed, the two completely ignoring the fights going on around them.

"It hurts," she took a quick inhale of breath to stop from crying, "It hurts so much, Fred."

"I know, Love, I know," he said, pecking her on the lips quickly, "We'll fix it."

"No – oh," she choked, taking his hand and placing it on the wound in her chest. He gaped as he pulled his hand back, staring at the blood staining his palm and fingers and her shirt and jacket as well. He quickly took the rag from her arm to her chest, watching as she got paler and paler and looked at her worriedly. "It – it hurts, Fred."

"Hermione, please don't do this to me," he pleaded as Katie sucked in a quick breath at the sight of her. Oliver turned her and Alicia away as Angelina tried to pull George away, but had no luck. "Please, please don't."

She gave another whimper, never letting her eyes leave his face, "I love you."

"I love you too, but that will _not_ be the last time you say that to me, right?" Tears were starting to prickle at his eyes, but he didn't _want_ to cry – he wanted to fix her and hold her and promise her that everything would be alright. "Hermione, please – you can't let her win. You can't let her take you away from me."

"I'm not," she whispered, reaching for his hand and gripping it as tightly as she could – which wasn't really all that tight. "I love you."

"I love you too – don't leave me."

"I love you," she repeated.

"Hermione," he choked back on tears he didn't know he was shedding, "I love you _so much_."

She let herself smile a little, the light leaving from her eyes as Fred sucked in a deep breath and let it out shakily.

"Hermione?" he asked, his voice wobbling, "Hermione?" He jumped and turned as someone put their hand on his shoulder, turning to find Harry frowning sadly down at him. He kneeled down next to Fred, reaching forward and shutting her eyelids gently. They looked at her for a few more moments before Harry stood, sighing and turning back as Ron comforted Katie, looking like he needed to be comforted as well. Alicia refused to turn away, standing there and crying as Angelina turned into George's shoulder and let out a sob. Oliver had left the room, but they could hear him breathing deeply and trying not to break down either.

"We'll meet up again," Harry said, clearing his throat as his voice was thick, "Alicia, Angelina, Katie, and – Oliver?"

"Yeah," Oliver said gruffly as he walked back in.

"Head on over to – to…" Harry faltered, looking uncertainly at Ron before he spoke up.

"Shell Cottage. Bill and Fleur stay there," he said before adding, "I'll go with you."

Harry nodded, "I'll be there in a few minutes." He turned back to Fred as George joined his twin on the floor. Harry frowned and stood next to the two as Fred stared hopelessly up at him. "There – there's an empty p-plot next to m-my parents at Godric's Hollow," Harry took several deep breaths to calm himself down, wiping at his eyes behind his glasses, "Muggles w-won't notice, and you can put a fake name on it until i-it's all worked out." He took one last look at Hermione before Apparating away.

* * *

><p>Fred sat there crossed legged, staring at the freshly dug grave of 'Hope Janet Green,' which was really Hermione's. George stood next to him, looking sadly down between his twin and where she was now laying. George cleared his throat, puffing out his chest as Fred dully looked up at him.<p>

"Granger, you were bossy, and you yelled at me a lot, and you made me do my homework," George started before his voice started to wobble, "But it shouldn't have been you. You've got too many people loving you for you to have left us, me being one of those people. We'll never forget you a-and if we do, you can come down here and haunt us until we all do homework. Hell, I'd do all the homework in Hogwarts if it meant you'd come back. Because my twin is really bloody crazy about you, Hermione, I mean it. I don't know what we're going to do now, without him harping on about how happy he is with you – 'cause he's not going to be happy for a real long time, Granger, not until he sees you again. And we all know it. And I could say everything and anything to you, but it wouldn't matter anyway because no matter what I say, you're never going to yell at me or Ron or any of the other Weasleys again until we get up there with you." He took another deep breath and wiped his face, staring resolutely at the gravestone, which only held the fake name and her birth and death date. He turned to Fred and sighed, walking over to the gate of the cemetery to wait on him.

Fred sighed, still sitting on the cold, hard ground as he unfolded his legs. He didn't know what to say. He'd already told her he'd loved her – that'd been his last words to her. Anything that would even sound remotely funny would be delivered plainly and without emotion. He could tell her that he'd miss her, but she would already know that. He only stood up and tilted his head at her gravestone, lifting his wand.

Once he was done, he gave the smallest of smiles at what he'd written there.

**_Hope Janet Green_**

**_September 19, 1979 – March 22, 1996_**

_"But if hope as flown away_

_In a night or in a day_

_In a vision, or in none_

_Is it therefore the less gone?_

_All that we see or seem_

_Is but a dream within a dream…"_

- _Edgar Allan Poe, "Dream Within a Dream."_

Brushing off the seat of his pants and taking one last pained look at her grave, her stuffed his hands into his jacket pocket, heading towards his twin before he stopped and pulled out something shiny and small. He winced and turned back to her grave, taking his wand out again for an ivy vine to snake its way part way over the corner of it. He slipped the simple, plain, silver ring on there before having the vine continue on its way, securing around itself so that nobody could take the ring. With drooped shoulders, he stood back up and walked towards George.

* * *

><p>Fred growled, taking Oliver away from the crazed woman as she laughed.<p>

"Oh look, it's the ickle Weasley boy!" Bellatrix laughed, "Come to join your ickle girly?"

"You killed my girlfriend," he spat, raising his wand. Bellatrix laughed, her smirk getting ready to form a gleeful 'Crucio' when he beat her to the punch. "_Avada Kedavra, _bitch." Bellatrix looked shocked as the green light hit her, sending her back onto the ground as Fred glared at her. George let out a whoop of celebration for his twin, making him turn around and grin back at him. George looked delighted that his twin had smiled again before he gaped and looked worriedly at him.

"Fred, look out, the wall!" he yelled, but it was too late.

* * *

><p>Fred groaned and sat up, rubbing at his head and looking around, seeing nothing but blue skies and clouds. He stood up, looking behind him to find a big golden gate. He furrowed his eyebrows at it before turning back around just in time to catch Hermione. He blinked before smiling into the kiss, holding her tighter as she ran her hands through his hair. He pulled back to grin brightly at her, his arms locked around her waist as she brought her hand up to trace his facial features. He blinked and turned to look at her hand, smiling wider.<p>

"You're wearing the ring," he said, turning back to her to kiss her again.

She pulled back and smiled back at him, tilting back to have her feet touch back down, "Yes, I'm wearing the ring. Merlin, Fred, I missed you so much. I _love_ you."

He kissed her again, resting his forehead against hers this time, "I love you so much, Hermione."

She hummed, smiling into his neck as he grinned back at her.

"Alright, break it up, I don't need to see this," George said, making them pull apart as they blinked at him. Fred grinned and hooked his arm around his twin's neck.

"George! What got you?" he asked, rubbing a circle into his head with his fist.

"Wasn't watching and got hit by a Deatheater," he shrugged before pulling out of his hold. He turned to Hermione and grinned as he hugged her and pecked her on the cheek, "Hey, Granger, we missed you down there."

"Thanks, George, and I liked your comment," at his confused look, she grinned wider, "When you were at my grave."

"Oh," he laughed as Fred grinned too.

"Yeah – James and Sirius thought it was good too," she smiled before hugging him again, "Merlin, I can't believe I actually missed you."

He chuckled and ruffled up her hair before pulling back and sighing, "Alright, who all is up here?"

She pursed her lips, "Remus, Tonks, Snape, Tonks' dad, Colin Crevey, Hedwig…a lot of people, guys. How's it going down there? We couldn't get to a place to look through because everybody's been clogging them up."

"Harry's going to win, Hermione," Fred reassured before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pecking her on the forehead, "And if not, then we just get to wait around here until the Bludger shows up."

She sighed and smiled, leaning into him, "You're right."

"First time he's ever heard that," George chuckled as he glared at him. He coughed and stared walking away, "I'm gonna go – y'know – look around and…stuff. Don't do anything I'd do!"

They laughed as he ran off, turning back to each other and smiling in contentment. Fred suddenly frowned, making Hermione arch an eyebrow up at him.

"What's wrong?"

"I should've saved you, Hermione," he sighed, hugging her closer, "If maybe I'd noticed before, or maybe if I knew how to fix it then, I could've…."

"Fred, what difference does it make? I would've died eventually, and you would've too. Besides, we're both here, so who cares?"

He smiled and nodded, kissing her once more and pulling back once he felt her grin, "What?"

"_A Dream Within a Dream_, really?" she asked with an eyebrow arched, "Didn't know you knew that one."

He laughed, smiling into her hair, "Quiet."

She hummed and obliged, both of them fine with standing there together for a while. They had forever now, right?

* * *

><p><strong>So, umm…while I was writing this, I cried. It took me forever to pull myself together and continue. Umm…yeah. Don't forget to vote on my profile for your favorite "Headaches" chapter! Bye!<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	21. Let Your Hair Down

**Umm…yeah. I just now thought of this so…meh.**

* * *

><p>Hermione sighed, looking dully down from the top of the tower as the redhead looked up at her defiantly.<p>

"Fear not, fair maiden, _I_ shall save you!" Ron proclaimed before looking around for something to help him up the tower.

Hermione sighed again, blowing a lone piece of her hair out of her face angrily, as the rest were tied up on the crown of her head in a weird bun-braid hybrid. McGonagall had said that she was to sit up there in the tower until somebody came up there to get her, and whoever it was she'd have to marry them. She thought this was incredibly stupid, but McGonagall said that she couldn't stay an old maid forever and she'd be entertained, at the very least. Ron was the first to step up to the task, dressed in clunky metal armor.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Hermione murmured as Ron jumped up and clung to the side of the tower. She took a moment to inspect her dress, which reminded her faintly of a Disney gown. It was a light purple, the bodice clinging to her and the skirt flowing daintily down to the ground. The sleeves were long and large, allowing her to twirl around the room and watch them fly around when she was bored. She thought about doing this now, but she was afraid she'd miss Ron getting a concussion.

"Almost – there," he grunted as she smirked and arched an eyebrow down at him, as he was as far away from her as possible.

"Just – just give up, Ron," she called down out of pity, as he'd managed to knock himself in the face and get a bloody nose.

He sighed and dropped down to the ground, waving at her before he walked away. She heard him hum as he left, "Maybe I could climb Lavender's tower, it's a lot shorter…."

She snorted and shook her head, grinning as he wandered off. After a few hours, she was sitting by the window with a book in her hand, smiling at the peace and quiet before a loud bugle call made her jump up with a scream.

"Fear not, fair maiden! It is I, your rescuer!" Cormac McLaggen exclaimed as she winced and looked down. He was dressed in poofy pants and an equally poofy shirt that made Hermione cringe.

"Oh, you poor soul," she murmured to herself as he went on and on about himself, "Oh goodness, did you really think that'd impress anybody?"

Once he was done with his monologue, he started to climb the rock tower. She looked on in horror as he made it halfway up, saying that it was a 'piece of cake!' If he made it up there, she'd have to marry him. 'Hermione McLaggen' made her want to hurl. She glanced at the book in her hand and winced before holding it out of the window, letting go of it with a cute 'whoopsie!' He got it in the face, sending him crashing to the ground, to which she hid her eyes to.

She huffed as he got up and tried again, making her go over to her bookshelf and pull a random book out. Once he was halfway up again, she dropped it onto his face, making her grin until he got back up again. She growled and went back to her bookshelf, wincing before getting out her beloved '_Hogwarts: A History_' to drop on his face. After he woke up, he sighed and sauntered away as Hermione mourned the loss of her books.

It was growing darker, and Hermione wondered if she even wanted anybody to come and get her. It was all ridiculously stupid, she was _not_ a damsel in distress. Hell, she'd saved _guys_ in distress before. The most she'd gotten was a grateful 'thank you' and a tight hug, which she was fine with.

As she was thinking about how unfair everything was, she didn't notice somebody next to her on the other side of the window until he cleared his throat. She turned, startled, and blinked as Fred Weasley grinned at her, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt as he stood on top of his broom like it was a surfboard or something. She laughed, as he was the first to think of that, making him smile wider at her as he sat on the ledge of the window, reaching through to pick bobby-pins out of her hair.

"You know, you should really let your hair down more often," he told her as she smiled at him.

"So…I guess you get me, huh?" she asked, smoothing back a curl from her face.

"Nah – you get me," he grinned, standing back up on his broom and extending his hand out, "The ultimate prize, if I may say so myself."

She laughed and took it, holding onto him tightly as he slowly lowered them down to the ground. As she touched solid ground, he snapped his broom out of the air and led her away as her dress changed to jeans and a t-shirt as well.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Ron and Cormac yelped as they saw Fred and Hermione walk by with his broom over his shoulder.

"Oh, if they only had a brain," Hermione sighed, making him chuckle at her.

* * *

><p><strong>…Err…yeah, I missed school on Friday because of my allergies – it felt like someone was sitting on my face with their hands shoved up into my eyes. Anyway, Mom let me sleep in today because I've been so tired this whole week. Hermione and Fred kept poking me until I worked on this, and even then I had to scrap my previous idea for this chapter. I have to clean out my closet later, and…yeah. So consists my Saturday. Hope you have a good day!<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	22. Sperm Ring

**I've been playing the Sims games and watching _Friends_. It's a pretty bad combination because this chapter is the spawn of it. Heheh. Pun. :)**

**AU because I wanted Tonks. :)**

* * *

><p>Hermione huffed, frowning as she watched Ginny coo and cuddle over James, her and Harry's newborn. She turned and saw Victoire snuggling up against her Uncle George and attempting to fall asleep against him. She sighed and leaned back, nearly touching the other couch inhabitant's leg, and glared at the ceiling. "I want a baby."<p>

"Pardon?" Fred asked, whipping his head around so fast that he heard a small '_crick!_' as he stared wide-eyed at the girl who was staring sadly up at the ceiling and playing with her fingers.

"She's been going on about this since Ginny announced she was pregnant with James," Harry grinned as he moved his knight to smash Ron's knight, "And that was probably after keeping it in her head since Vicky was born."

"Mmah?" the little blonde girl looked around sleepily as George grinned and smoothed her hair back, making her flop against him with a sigh.

"I am a woman without a promising future of having a family of my own," Hermione declared, sitting up and frowning at Harry, "And I want a freaking baby."

"Now?" George asked curiously in a hushed, amused whisper.

"In the year," she said after a brief pause, making those around her look up from what they were doing to stare at her.

"Hermione, you can't meet somebody, fall in love, marry them and have a baby in a _year_," Ginny blinked as she slowly sat down on the ottoman in front of George and Victoire, "I mean, I love you and I have the utmost faith in you in everything that you do, but it simply can't be done!"

She pursed her lips as Harry's eyes widened as he sat forward, adjusting his glasses.

"A _sperm_ donor?" he hissed, glancing back at Victoire to make sure she was sound asleep, "Hermione, you can't be serious! Your mother would kill you!"

"_My_ mum would kill you!" Ginny exclaimed.

"_My_ mum would kill you!" Harry barely noticed as Ron flicked one of his pawns away dully.

"I want a baby," she practically whined, falling back onto the couch and covering her face with a pillow. "I want a little baby who'll grow up and call me 'Mummy' and make me read them bedtime stories and who I'll argue with over bath-time."

"Bath-time's fun though," Harry smiled slightly as Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes.

"The two blow bubbles at each other, and James has taken to splashing," she wrinkled her nose before shaking her head, "Hermione, if you want a baby, adopt, or do daycare – something other than a _donor_."

"I want it to be _my_ baby," she flopped over onto her stomach and stared sadly down at her pillow.

"Get married! Wait a few years to have the baby!" Harry argued.

"Fred, George," Ginny snapped her fingers, waving her free hand at the girl on the couch, "Do something. Make her change her mind. Usually we get Hermione to do this, but this is Hermione we need to do it to."

"It's her choice," George shrugged, "Although I would like to embarrass you at your wedding."

Fred sighed, frowning at the air before turning to her, "How hard is it for you to find a decent bloke to date?"

"Very," she said in a 'duh' tone.

"And do you think it'd be easier to do so with a kid on your hip?" he asked.

"Baby," she whined again, whimpering into her pillow as George sighed and shook his head, trying to go back to his book. Worst case scenario would be that she'd actually find a bloke to date – which would be fine, normally, if it was Fred she would be dating. Otherwise, she'd realize she'd have to make do with James and Victoire until she finally did find someone.

* * *

><p>"Hey Angel!" Tonks said happily as she met Hermione at the landing, a blue haired Teddy beaming happily as he reached for her. Hermione smiled and practically lit up as the transfer was made, Teddy shifting his hair so that it matched hers. Tonks observed this for a moment, her hands in her jeans pockets with a smile. "You two look cute. If I hadn't given birth to him, I'd say he was yours." She then remembered what Ginny had chided her on and put on a straight face, "Of course, the labor was terrible, mind you. Absolutely dreadful. I think I crushed Mad-Eye's hand."<p>

Hermione rolled her eyes, bouncing Teddy slightly, "Ginny?"

She grinned sheepishly at her, "Yeah."

"And your _honest_ opinion?" she teased as Remus walked into the living room, looking around for his coffee.

"I think it's a good idea, honestly, I think you could pull it off and be perfectly happy," she offered, making Hermione grin at her.

"What's a good idea?" Remus asked, finding his coffee and drinking it as he awaited the answer. Hermione nudged Teddy, signaling for him to cover his ears as his mum answered.

"Hermione getting a sperm donor," she said with a chipper grin.

Remus' eyes widened and he quickly spat his coffee back out, hitting the wall in a brilliant spit take as Teddy gaped and brightened and looked happily between his parents.

"Can I do that?" he asked gleefully.

"Later, outside, and with water," Tonks answered without missing a beat, "But only if you go clean your room right now."

He nodded and pecked Hermione on the cheek before squirming out of her hold and running up the stairs. Remus coughed and set his coffee down on a nearby table, waving his wand at the wall as he tried to get the liquid out of his nose. The two waited patiently for him to do so, grins on their faces before he blinked between them.

"Are you joking?" he asked his wife with a frown, "Dora, this is _hardly _– "

"Actually, she's not," Hermione smiled at him, "I've been thinking about it for some time now."

He arched his eyebrows at her in surprise before one dropped, asking flatly, "Is this because Ginny and Fleur have had children and Penelope is pregnant?"

She frowned back at him, "I'd actually managed to forget about Penelope, thanks." She then caught his question and snapped back, "_No,_ it is not because of _them_!"

He smirked at her, not believing her answer as Tonks rolled her eyes and waited on the two to stop bickering. As Remus paused to take a breath, Tonks poured some of his coffee into his mouth, making him splutter and cough before taking the hint and leaving.

"So – sperm donor," Tonks clapped and grinned happily at her, "Thoughts, feelings, concerns of motherhood?"

"I'm thinking about it, I want a baby, and I'm terrified of my mother," she answered.

Tonks laughed, "After the initial shock of it, she'll be pleased to be a grandmother and will love your baby instantly. Want me to go get the papers with you?"

She sighed and smiled at her, "Thanks."

"Anytime," she grinned back before popping her head into the sitting room to smile at Remus, "Bye, love, we're off to go get sperm!"

The sound of him coughing accompanied her laughing as she and Hermione walked out of the house.

* * *

><p>"Enjoys Quidditch, hiking, swimming, athletic," Hermione hummed as Ginny repeatedly slammed her head on the table she, Tonks and Hermione were sharing at Hermione's flat, papers scattered on it as the twins, Harry, Ron and Remus shook their heads at them from the couch.<p>

"It goes 'first comes love, first come marriage, then comes daddy pushing a baby carriage' not 'first comes sperm, then comes baby, then there's nobody to push the freaking carriage,'" Ginny spat as Tonks grinned.

"Pretty sure a playground rhyme wouldn't have the word 'freaking' in it, anyway," Tonks laughed, grinning pointedly at her paper as Ginny shot her a nasty glare. "Ooh – tall, blonde hair, really rich!"

"Sounds like Malfoy," Hermione gagged before taking another paper and frowning at it, "Red hair, pale skin, lots of freckles." The three glanced at the three Weasleys in the living room, Ron on the floor playing chess again with the twins on the couch. "Likes Quidditch, hates Potions….On 'other comments' it said 'Chudley Cannons rule.'"

"Heck yeah they rule!" Ron cheered as his brothers lit up with this information.

"Why, ickle Ronnie – " George started.

"Did you go to a – "

"Sperm bank?" they finished together with Harry, Remus and Tonks asking in the same amused tone as Ginny looked on in horror.

He stared back at them before glaring, "Shut up, I needed the money!"

"For what?" George asked as Fred and Harry began to laugh, as Hermione was pointedly ripping up the paper into little pieces, Tonks containing her snickers.

"Lavender's ring," he murmured, turning red as he glared down at the chess board.

"She has a sperm ring?" Hermione and Ginny shouted gleefully as they shot up from the table, excited glances towards each other at this new information. Tonks lost it at this point, Remus shooting her a reprimanding look, although he was trying not to grin as well.

"No – no wonder it's so little," Tonks giggled as she made the size of Lavender's gem on her fingers, "Be – because it's a – it's a sperm ring," she wheezed and tilted back to fall on the floor, "That's – that's bloody brilliant!"

"See, Hermione?" George grinned back at her, "You wouldn't be able to have these amazing conversations if you had a baby."

"Here, I'll tell you what," Remus said as Tonks muffled her laughs, Harry trying to do the same and failing, "You can look after Teddy for a whole day and night by yourself, and another day and night with somebody else with about as much experience as you. That way you'll know what can help and what can hurt."

"Okay!" Hermione said brightly as Tonks sobered up and frowned suspiciously at her husband.

"And why would I be giving up my baby for two days, Mister Lupin?" she asked briskly.

"Because you got her the papers, you haven't seen your mother in three months, and you have to tell everybody you meet that Miss Brown has a – as you three so delicately put it – 'sperm ring.'"

Tonks brightened up again, her tongue peaking between her teeth, "Oh yeah!"

"Harry was just getting a hold of himself until you said it again, Lupin," Fred noted happily as the black haired boy laughed.

* * *

><p>"Teddy, time to wake up," Hermione said softly, making him open his eyes and sit up dazedly, his tired eyes scanning her living room in confusion before he remembered that his parents had left him with Hermione for two days.<p>

It'd gone over pretty well, aside from when it came to vegetables and bath-time – turns out that Teddy did _not_ share James' love of bubbles – and the two had crashed on the couch after a long day of coloring, playing dinos, and asking about Hermione's time at Hogwarts.

"One more day?" he asked as he rubbed his eye and slid down from the couch to let her stand up.

"One more day," she smiled as she crouched down and ran her hands through his hair to untangle them, having him smile sleepily and close his eyes as he started to wobble. She laughed and scooped him up in her arms, rocking him a little as he began to fall back asleep, "I knew we shouldn't have crashed on the couch. I have a hard enough time with that. Morning nap and then start the day?"

But Teddy was already asleep, making Hermione smile and walk to her room to tuck him into bed. When she walked back out and shut the door quietly, she blinked when she saw Fred sprawled across her couch, looking dully at his shoes.

"Fred?" she whispered, as she was afraid Teddy would hear her.

He turned, blinking at her before smiling, "Hi."

"Hey," she said before smiling back and sitting next to him once he made room. The two sat there for a while, not moving or talking until Hermione grinned, "Are you going to be helping me watch after Teddy?"

"Mmhhm," he hummed, a little smile on his face as he played with her hand.

She allowed a smile chuckle, "Think you'll be able to do it for a while?"

"And by a while you mean, the rest of my life?" he grinned and let it fall into a serious small smile, "Yeah. Really ready."

She hummed, resting against him as he pecked her head before snorting, "Of all the ways to tell me though! In front of everybody and _in code_!"

"I didn't know if you'd want it or not," she frowned quietly, making small designs on her stomach, "So I needed an excuse. Because I'm going to need one, Fred. And soon, I think."

He frowned back at her, "Of course I'd want it. I want you, all of you, all the time, every day. What makes our baby any different?"

She shrugged, not meeting his eyes before smiling and turning up to him, "We kept our relationship too much of a secret, I think. We didn't think what we'd do if this happened and nobody knew."

"Have a really quick wedding and nobody will notice," he whispered, a mischievous little glint in his eyes that Hermione took as a hint to the fact that he was _not_ joking.

"Wh-what?" she asked, pulling back and blinking at him.

He pulled a ring out of his pocket, plain and simple without any gems, studying it as he twirled it around in one hand, his other hand occupied with her frozen one. He shrugged, bringing her hand up and holding the ring out with the other one, "I thought we could. I'd been planning it before the baby anyway."

She blinked as he waited for permission to slip the ring on her finger, which was her finally exhaling and smiling out a 'yes.' He grinned, and once the ring was in place he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. They sat there for a few more moments before Fred gleefully whirled around to Hermione.

"At least we learned that Lavender has a sperm ring," he grinned as Hermione choked back a few laughs.

But he was stopped as Teddy looked curiously at him, "What's sperm?" Fred paled as Hermione gaped at the little boy before glaring at Fred.

"Lupin's gonna kill me!" he squeaked before hiding his face in his fiancé's shoulder.

"It's something really gross, Teddy," she answered with a smile before waving him, "Go back to sleep, Sweetie – you look ready to pass out again."

He gave a sleepy nod and wandered back, as Hermione wondered just how she got to be so awesome.

* * *

><p><strong>…Ummm…mmyeah. I write things like this, and I can't find anything to say at the end. So I write author's notes like this and end it with "Love, Birdie." <strong>

**…**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	23. Welcome to Wonderland

**Umm…I felt that I should put up a chapter for Fred and George's birthday. Despite the fact that I left their "hack" up on my profile. I like having a short profile – it's nice. :)**

**I borrowed Katarina "Kat" Bishop from this awesome book that my friend Katherine (also occasionally called "Kat") leant me called the _Heist Society_ by Ally Carter. It's good – check it out when you're bored.**

* * *

><p>George peeked an eye open, sitting up a little and moving the curtain back from his bed to peer into Fred's, making sure he was still snoring lightly into his pillow before slipping out, jumping around to put on his shoes as silently as he could. He checked Lee's bed and the two other boys they had to share the room with before tiptoeing down the stairs.<p>

Fred rose up as soon as the door closed, frowning before Lee rose up wobbly, looking at Fred dazedly.

"Wha?" he asked sleepily.

"Now what's George doing up at three in the morning?" Fred asked, mostly to himself.

Lee yawned, already falling back into his warm cocoon, "'S Hermione."

"Hermione?" Fred blinked, looking surprised that the girl's name had come up in an actual conversation, as he'd been thinking about her since the Yule Ball, which had been months ago. But the sinking feeling in his stomach was already settling in. "What does George have to do with Hermione?"

But Lee was already snoring away, snorting and giving his leg a little twitch.

Fred stared at the silhouette of his friend before turning to look at his brother's empty bed, feeling a huge sense of betrayal crushing down on him. George had sworn up and down that he liked a Ravenclaw named Katarina Bishop, in vain attempts to get his twin to confess who he liked but with no budge. Had George lied to him? He'd never seen Katarina before, George had never pointed the girl out, and they didn't have any classes with her, according to George. Had he made up this girl in order to hide the fact that he really liked Hermione?

* * *

><p>Fred marched moodily down the staircase, glaring at the familiar redhead and the curly brown haired girl as they talked at the foot of the staircase, getting ready to go into the Great Hall. He knew he'd be over this eventually, but at the moment he was hurt, pissed, and depressed. Hurt and depressed might've been the same thing, but he was still pretty pissed at both parties, despite the fact that neither of them knew of his crush.<p>

"And he doesn't know?" George asked her as quietly as he could, unaware that Fred was in hearing range.

"Not at all," she smiled back, having George grin and hug her tightly and quickly.

"Thanks, Hermione – you're a life saver." She nodded as he pulled back, glanced up at Fred and waved before dashing into the Hall to go sit with Harry and Ron.

Fred came to a halt in front of his twin, Lee rocking between them anxiously as George looked expectantly at his glaring twin.

"Can I help you?" he asked, glancing back at Lee once more only to have him shrug.

"No," Fred glared before swirling around and walking through into the Great Hall, only to sit at the Ravenclaw table next to Luna and a dark haired girl. Luna hardly blinked as she turned to him and offered him a plate of waffles.

"Good morning, Fred, how are you?" she asked airily.

"Pissed," he answered shortly, only his gaze softened a little for the younger blonde with a plate of waffles.

"I see," she nodded, allowing him to take the plate from her to take a bite of her own waffle, "I think I rather am too."

"Why?" he asked, glancing back at her from his waffles.

"Well, I learned that your twin doesn't like me in the same way I do," she said, but was still smiling dreamily at her syrup-covered plate.

"Oh – aww, Luna, I'm sorry," he winced before glaring at his own plate, "I'm mad at George too, if it helps."

"Oh, I'm not mad at George," she shook her head, "I'm just mad that he's not interested in me at the time is all. And I doubt you're really mad at him, just mad at the situation. Does that help, or should I continue?"

Fred only shook his head and stuffed his mouth with waffle instead to escape from talking to her again.

* * *

><p>Fred avoided his twin all day, having George trail him around and ask him what the hell was wrong with him. Lee was stuck sitting in between the two in most of their classes, sitting there uncomfortably as Fred glared at his tabletop or books.<p>

Once classes were over, Lee ushered the two twins up to their dorm and locked them in to glare at both of them.

"Fred, what _is_ wrong with you?" Lee asked, George nodding overenthusiastically, eyebrows up ridiculously high.

"Nothing!" Fred spat, yanking his sweater off and throwing it at his bed darkly.

"Freddie, ever since this morning you've been – " George cut himself off, blinking at him before he slowly began to smile, "_Ohh_. I get it now. Look, there's nothing with me and Granger – she was helping me with homework."

Fred blinked at his bedspread before whirling around to face him curiously, as Lee wondered what the hell was going on now, and as George smiled simply at him.

George shrugged, still smiling, "Why would I go after the girl my twin likes?"

Fred blinked more at him, his ears growing a little red, "How do you - ?"

"Mate, I'm your _twin_," George scoffed, shaking his head, "Now get your arse dressed up."

"Why?" he questioned.

"Just do it, you wanker!" he ordered with a grin, grabbing a pile of clothes off from his bed and shoving them at him to usher him into the bathroom.

Fred came back out a few minutes later, glaring suspiciously at his twin as he was dressed in a cleaner white dress shirt and jeans. George appeared by his side a moment later, frowning at the jeans before tossing him a pair of converse, "We both need to stop growing."

"Georgie, what is this?" Fred asked, a warning lilt to his voice.

"Just go with it, Fred," Lee grinned, shaking his head.

George grinned at him before leading him down the staircase by his shoulder, the two finding Hermione leaning against the wall outside of the boys' dorms, dressed in a deep purple form-fitting dress with the skirt flaring out, orange high tops on her feet with her hair tamed.

"Here he is!" George grinned, pulling Fred to a stop as Hermione turned and smiled up at him, only for him to find that she'd put on a small amount of makeup.

"Perfect, see you, George!" she said, taking Fred's wrist and pulling him through the nearly empty Common Room.

"Wait, what?" Fred questioned as Harry met them at the portrait with his Invisibility Cloak, throwing it over them with a flourish as he grinned.

"Have fun," he whispered as Hermione led him away.

Hermione led Fred all the way down to the passageway to Honeyduke's, during the walk there she took the Cloak off and hid it there, dragging him up through the cellar. The owner smiled and nodded at them as Hermione grinned and waved, watching them go out through the door.

"Hermione, what's going on?" Fred asked, following her blindly, not thinking that if he really wanted to stop, he could.

"Just come on," she said, the grin in her voice.

"Hermione, stop," he said, finally putting on the brakes and having her stop and allow him to topple back a little, not expecting her to give up so easily. As she turned to look innocently up at him, he shook his head and frowned. "What's going on?"

She smiled at this, turning away and humming as she walked further away from him down the street before she finally began to sing lightly, "_It starts in my toes, then I crinkle my nose, wherever it goes, I always know. You make me smile, please stay for a while_…"

Fred watched her go down the street, blinking before he slowly began to walk after her, jogging a little once she stopped singing to walk beside her. She was still smiling, her eyes particularly bright. He was silent for a few more moments before finally began to ask again.

"What – ?"

"Shh," she smiled, practically dancing.

"But – "

"Shh."

"Herm – "

"Sh – "

"- ione, I – "

She twirled to a stop in front of him, rising up to put a finger to her lips and shush him once more, "Shh, Fred, just relax."

Fred leaned back, not used to being so close to her before, and finally obliged.

She led him further up the street until she veered off, grabbing his wrist again and leading him through the woods. At one point, after a long trek, she finally stopped, letting go of his wrist and turning to a hole near the base of a tree. She smiled at it before turning to him, "Do you want to go first?"

"Not until you tell me what the hell is going on," he frowned, "You didn't help George with homework this morning, did you?"

She frowned at that, "No, why?"

"He said you did, but you didn't," he huffed, crossing his arms, "Hermione, what is all of this?"

She smiled and shook her head, arching an eyebrow up at him, "Did you really?"

"Did I really what?" he blinked back as she got closer to him, her eyes never leaving his.

She smiled wider, reaching up on her toes and putting a hand up on his shoulder to keep him steady, slowly giving him a peck on the lips, to which he stared back at as she lowered herself back down, "Happy birthday, Fred."

He blinked slowly at her before his eyes widened and he tilted his head back, "_Ohhh_. George talked to you to set whatever this is up."

"Yes," she nodded.

He frowned back at her, "But why you?"

She winced, taking a step back, finding the forest floor entirely fascinating now, "I – ah, I'm sorry if I'm not who you wanted then."

Fred tilted his head at her, wondering what he'd said to upset her when she waved a hand to the hole by the tree.

"You might want to get down there soon. It's for you and George, after all."

"Hermione – " he started until Lee's head poked through the hole, glaring at him angrily as he did a double take at the disembodied head.

"Oy, you getting down here or what? We spent too much time on this for you to stay up here and not see it," Lee huffed before slipping back through. When Fred turned back, Hermione was gone, and a small part of him wondered how the hell he was going to get back to school until he decided that he'd better talk to George first. He slipped down through the hole, sucking in a breath as he slid down and popped up on his feet in the middle of a brightly lit room, fairy lights floating around with his friends scattered around and talking. He blinked until George's arm appeared around his neck, making him smile at his grinning twin.

"So – did you keep Granger occupied up there?" he winked as he smirked, Lee walking by with Ginny, getting ready to go point out to Harry that he had purple hair.

"No," Fred frowned, "George, what is all this?"

George blinked at him, losing the grin as his arm slipped down, "It's the birthday party. You mean you didn't do anything to Granger?"

"Well of course it's the birthday party – no, I didn't do anything to her, why?"

George suddenly looked absolutely livid, "Play-by-play of the conversation you just had with her, right now, you great big bloody prat!"

"Ahh," Fred leaned back, looking warily around for an exit, "She told me happy birthday. I figured out that you didn't do homework with her this morning. She agreed with that. I asked why she was picked to drag me around the school, through Hogsmeade and into the woods. She told me to get down here. Lee popped up. We're caught to speed. Why?"

"Anything _else_?" George asked, exasperated.

"Umm…she said she was sorry she wasn't who I wanted, which made no sense."

George gave a puff that was half annoyance, half relief, "Get up there and tell her that you are bloody obsessed with her."

"Why?" he blinked as George looked up at him with a dull smile.

"You asked why she'd volunteer to drag you everywhere, right?" At his nod, he continued, "You phrased your question as if you didn't want her, Freddie. She's hurt, now go fix her."

"But why would she be hurt? It's not like she likes me back or any – _oh holy mother of Merlin, shit shit shit_," his eyes widened and his mouth flew open, his hands tugging at his hair as he sucked in a deep breath. "Fuck, fuck, _fuck!_"

"Yes, that is what you should be doing with her. Now go," he grinned before pointing out the exit to him. He hummed as he watched him go, turning to an awaiting Luna, "Confusion Candies last for an hour and a half after consumption, and the user forgets he even ate one at dinner. Most brilliant thing we've ever come up with." She smiled slightly and nodded before continuing her study of the ceiling. As she did so, he looked at her before frowning slightly then grinning and bowing, "A dance, Alice?"

"Would you be the Chesire cat, the Mad Hatter, or anybody else?" she questioned airily as she took his hand.

"Mad Hatter would be the less creepy," he mused.

"Agreed," she nodded.

* * *

><p>Hermione frowned sadly at her knees, letting a leaf flutter down before she sighed and blew it away. When she saw someone move out of the corner of her eyes, she sighed and rolled her eyes, "Leave me alone, Harr – ah." She blinked down at the redhead staring up at her with a half-smile.<p>

"I wasn't aware I bore such a striking resemblance to Harry," he grinned as she put on a very fake smile.

"You don't, I just thought…" she winced again before smiling much more sincere, "How's the party?"

"I dunno," he shrugged as he leaned against the tree she was on, smiling up at her, "I was there for around a minute and a half before I came out here hunting for you."

"Why?" she questioned, somewhat sullenly.

"Well, it's my birthday and everything, and I'd hate for you to get lost while we're all out there having fun, and I'd really rather hate it for the girl I'm infatuated with to think I hate her, when really it's the exact opposite," he said dully, inspecting the dirt until she dropped down next to him, staring at him with a frown.

"Fred Weasley, if you are joking, I am going to _kill_ you in the morning," she vowed, head tilted up as she tried to judge whether he was serious or not.

He only grinned and swooped down, placing a kiss on her lips before pulling back and checking his watch, "Twelve o' seven. It's April second now. So, no, I couldn't even pull this off on an April Fool's joke even if I wanted to, which I don't."

She bit her lip before smiling and nodding, "Okay. Good. Now let's go tell George that we completed the mission and he now doesn't owe me anything."

"What'd he owe you before?" he asked, leading her towards the party.

"Ahh – Sugar Quills until I graduate," she pursed her lips, "Actually, that was a good one. I was nearly looking forward to that up in my tree."

"Too bad – you have me instead," he grinned, kissing her again to make her smile.

"Happy birthday, Fred," she said again, making him stop and hug her, kissing her hair.

"Thanks," he murmured, smiling down at her. "You're a really good present, you know?"

"Just minus the bow," she smiled back before they walked back down into the party.

* * *

><p>"Off of school grounds, after curfew, without permission, violating <em>so many rules<em>," McGonagall was pacing in front of the Gryffindors seated on the couch and around it, "I hope you're happy for yourselves, because you all have a detention for a week."

George smirked as she left, "She would've given us a month if she didn't love us so, I hope we all know that."

"Or maybe because Hermione did it too," Fred grinned as Hermione practically fell asleep against him, running his hand through her hair and mussing up her curls.

"What's going on?" she murmured, eyes blinking open.

"Detention for a week," he told her.

"Not s'bad," she hummed, going back to sleep.

George grinned at his twin as everybody cleared off with groans, some grinning from the party or frowning from the detention. "So – best twin ever for getting you the girl?"

"I'm pretty sure you're my only twin," Fred grinned back as George frowned, "Yes – you're amazing. All hail George. Oh, by the way – Luna's pissed at you."

He blinked at this, "She wasn't pissed last night. In fact, I'm pretty sure snogging does not mean one is pissed. Otherwise I've been pissed a lot of times and didn't know it."

"You snogged Luna?" Hermione and Fred asked as Fred continued, "What about Katarina Bishop?"

George shrugged, leaning back into the couch, "Her hair reminded me too much of Granger."

"Granger's right here," Hermione frowned at him.

"Her hair reminded me of you, and it was a big turn-off," he said before humming, "Well, maybe if it was a big bush, it'd resemble yours – the color was the same, and kind of curly, so – "

"Oh fuck off, George," Hermione frowned, standing up and walking to the girls' dorms after pecking Fred on the cheek. George gaped at her as Fred stifled his laughs. Once she was gone, he began to laugh as loud as he could before turning to his twin and grinning.

"I love her," he said simply, grinning like a mad man.

George shook his head, glaring at the girls' staircase before grinning back at his twin, "We can guess. Happy birthday, Gred."

"Happy birthday, Forge."

* * *

><p><strong>I cussed a lot in this one. Huh. Sorry, if that offended, but I had fun with it. :D Happy birthday, Izzy, I love you! April seventh, if you're wondering when it is.<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	24. Crazy Teenagers Come Into Play

**I swear to all deities that I should _not_ be up at this hour. I have dress rehearsal after school until 6. Our play is on Sunday and Monday, and I am freaking out, Man. My lines are fine, as of now, it's the _blocking_. But that's for another rant.**

**And I want to thank all of you for reading the note to "Once in a Lifetime" and backing me up. *puffs up muscles as if I'm important**or buff in any way, shape or form**I'm really not***

**Originally, I had an idea that involved Hermione and Bill, but not in that romantic way, just Bill being like "oh, hey, let me help you out here while Fred swoops in all ninja-like and wins your heart." I might post that later. But I decided to hold up to my promise to my friend and write a chapter about her – so, coincidentally, me and my other friend too. **

**The pairings are as follows:**

**Fred and Hermione**

**Izzy and George**

**(Lady) Kevin and Neville Longbottom (I just think that they'd be cute, if, you know, I could make it happen)**

**Me and (umm…I dunno. You tell me. *shrug*) [NOT RON THOUGH] [OR HARRY]**

* * *

><p>"Now," the redhead said briskly, standing in the doorway of the brightly colorful joke shop, talking to a girl with curly dark brown hair as she ignored her ginger friend, "You get one thing and stick with me. Clear?"<p>

"Muddy, sir," she said before gasping and dashing off to a shelf, looking happily at the different potions that changed your physical appearance.

Ren sighed and followed her, pouting along until she got swept up with the pretty labels. Once she glanced up only to find that Isabella wasn't there, she gasped loudly and gaped at the nearly empty aisle.

"Holy Merlin – I've lost her!" she cried before dashing around the store, bumping into someone's shoulder and flailing to the ground. She popped back up quickly, frowning seriously at the air before saying, "I'm alright."

"Err, Reneé? Need any help or…anything?" Hermione asked, rubbing her sore shoulder.

"Two things – one, stop calling me by my whole name, I don't think anybody does that anymore, _two _– help me find Izzy," she said simply.

Hermione gasped at her fellow sixth year, "You let her go off _alone_?"

"I didn't _let_ her, she just kind of…" she trailed off, looking for the right word, "Ran away…."

She grabbed the girl's wrist, leading around as they looked for either Fred or George for their help, "Where's Katherine? Doesn't she usually help you look after Izzy?"

"Lady Kevin?" she blinked before shrugging, "Flourish and Blotts – it's her time off, she needed to reload her reading ammo."

"So poetically put," Hermione snorted before tapping one of the twins on the shoulder, having him turn around and smile at them.

"Ah – Granger, and…" he arched an eyebrow at the short ginger girl, who was waving at him happily, "…you. What can I do for you?"

"Ren lost Izzy, and we need to find her before she does something Izzy-like," Hermione explained as he gaped.

"By the way, which twin are you again?" Ren asked, looking curiously at him to find any indication as to which Weasley twin this was.

"Fred, now come on – we just opened, we can't get shut down now," he said, leading the girls around the store.

After nearly thirty minutes of wandering, Ren having literally bumped into Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas nearly fifteen times, the three huffed and stared at the door to the backroom.

"I'm scared to open it," Ren admitted before shoving Fred forward slightly, "You do it!"

"Me?" he whirled on the girls, "Why me?"

"Your shop!" she argued, glaring at him as he glared at her.

"Oh stop it," Hermione huffed, "_I'll _do it."

She her hand touched the doorknob, Fred's hand stopped her as he looked at her seriously, "Don't. We don't know what's in there."

"Fred, I'm sure I'll be fine," she assured with a half-smile, turning the knob and opening the door before she screamed and her hands flew to her eyes, "I'm blind, I'm blind!"

Ren glared and marched past the blinded Hermione and the worried Fred, dragging out a ruffled looking Izzy by her shirt collar, "I keep telling you – stop molesting people!"

"It's not molesting if they like it!" Izzy said, blowing a kiss to the equally-ruffled looking George as Fred shook his head at his twin and held Hermione as she wept over the loss of her eyesight.

Katherine met them outside, seeing Ren's miffed expression and Izzy's disgruntled appearance, and sighed, "What'd she do this time?"

"More like _who_," Ren growled out as Izzy began to re-button her shirt.

"Oh please – you guys popped in _way_ before we could get to the doing of who," she snorted, smiling at them as she shook her head.

"Who?" Katherine sighed, closing her book and looking at their friend dully, her dark blonde hair blowing lazily in the wind.

Izzy grinned and pointed back at the store they'd just come out of.

Katherine blinked before frowning at her, "If it was Fred, Hermione would've killed you. So…George?"

"Yah," she said, pleased with herself as Ren shook her head at the dark haired girl.

"I say no desserts for a month," she sniffed as Kevin turned to her, arching an eyebrow.

"Why'd she get away in the first place, Ren?" she asked.

"Yeah, _Ren_?" Izzy teased, "Why'd I get away in the first place?"

She blinked between the two before throwing her hands up in the air, "I got distracted! They had pretty colors on the labels! It wasn't my fault!"

Katherine only sighed and led the two down the streets of Diagon Alley, wondering why she had to babysit her two friends half of the time.

* * *

><p><em>Two Years Later – After the Battle of Hogwarts<em>

"Honestly – just use your bleeding crutches," Izzy said as Ren limped through the gate leading to the Burrow, the ginger rolling her eyes as Katherine agreed worriedly.

"I'm fine – I'll be sitting down throughout most of this party anyway, so why have to sit with crutches?" she snorted.

"Stupid stubborn ginger," Izzy grumbled as Katherine began to explain to Ren that she was magic and could just send the crutches somewhere or pull them back to her.

"What was that?" George, Ginny and Ron asked, frowning at her as she gaped at them.

"Oh look – I'm, I'm at the Burrow," she laughed nervously before shielding herself with her arms, "Don't take my soul, please!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and looked up at George, "Can't believe you like that thing."

"Can't believe I do either," he shrugged as his younger siblings walked off.

"Ahh – Katherine!" Neville said excitedly, rushing over to the blonde and grinning broadly, "I can't wait to tell you what I've found!"

"Ooh, can't wait to hear it!" she smiled back before glancing back at Ren and Izzy to make sure they weren't going anywhere.

"Hey, where's Hermione?" she asked after checking her friends.

Neville sighed, his shoulders drooping before he nodded to the house. About that time, Hermione came running out of the door, Fred after her before George grinned broadly at this.

"Freddie – what have I told you about molesting people?" he called out, attracting whatever attention they hadn't had before to them.

"It's not molesting if she likes it," he winked and grinned before slinging Hermione over his shoulder and taking her back into the house as she punched him in the back.

"Oh Merlin," Ren dragged her hands over her face, "Too many crazy people."

"And yer one o' 'em," Seamus smirked as he and Dean began to play with the crutches Katherine had Accioed for her.

"This coming from the guy with no eyebrows," Dean snickered as his friend glared at him.

* * *

><p><strong>…<strong>

**I had fun with that. :) I might continue with us sometime again, but later on down the road, if you guys liked it.**

**Izzy is Izzy, Katherine is Katherine, I am…me. :/**

**Love, **

**Birdie**


	25. Werewolves of the Burrow

**Ummm…so this is the one with Bill in it. I never use Bill. When I do he's just…there.**

**My play went wonderfully, by the way. My picture was in the newspaper. :D My name was the one bolded, by the way. And we sold out on Sunday. My English teacher tried and couldn't get in. Monday was our best – and last – performance. I'm going to miss all of the seniors and I can't wait to act with the others. **

**So this chapter is dedicated to the seniors I've worked with an grown close to - Romina, Stephen, Ashley, Zack I. and our Stage Manager Jennifer. All of you are brilliant and I love you lots.**

* * *

><p>Hermione had been much more quiet since the war was over. Harry and Ron couldn't figure it out. She'd started crying the first day it was over, sobbing on the staircase with Ginny, Fleur, Molly and Angelina soothing her, and hadn't opened her mouth since. She'd sit at the top of the staircase, dressed in Harry's baggy sweatshirt with her mouth hidden as she stared aimlessly at the air. Fred and George sat with her some times, staring with her and even laying their heads on her shoulders to make her feel better, but she only smiled a teensy bit and kept staring at the air. Ron would bring her food, shooting her a quick smile before leaving her alone again.<p>

Bill arrived half a week later after helping Arthur and Percy slap around Death Eaters for information. He'd climbed up the top of the stairs, making Hermione lift her head up and look at him desperately. He sat down next to her and started talking quietly to her, his rumble so low that nobody could hear what they were saying before Hermione began to cry again, burying her face in his shoulder.

One night at dinner, everybody looked up to see that Hermione was standing in the doorway, her arms wrapped around her waist as she looked at them. Molly was getting ready to stand up to get her a plate, when she only shook her head and inhaled and exhaled shakily.

"Uhm," she wavered, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and staring down at the floor, "About two weeks ago, we were fighting at Hogwarts." She bit her lip, tears threatening to spill, "And – and we won, obviously. But – ahh." She finally began to break down, looking up at Bill as he stood and shook her head, "Bill, I can't, I'm trying and I can't, Bill."

He frowned slightly at her and shook his own head, "Hermione, you're the only one who knows what really happened. You have to tell them."

She hiccupped, covering her mouth with a sleeve and squeezing her eyes tightly shut before Fred stood up and pulled her into him, rubbing her arms until she calmed down enough. "I – I was fighting and running across the grounds and…and Fenrir Greyback bit me."

Everybody seemed to freeze aside from Bill, Fred being the first to come out of it to hug Hermione so tightly that she squeaked a little.

"But – but you don't know," Ginny stood, looking between her friend and her brothers desperately, "But you don't know for sure."

"It's a big chance that she will, Gin," Bill said quietly.

Harry and Ron jumped up, talking fast and gesturing wildly, yammering about Animagi and deers and Terriers.

Fred snorted as George stood and rolled his eyes, "The deer would work, yeah, but a _Terrier?_ Come on, that's an appetizer." He and Fred then had the same idea at the same time, looking between each other and beaming.

"But _foxes_ on the other hand," George was grinning as Hermione pulled her face out of Fred's chest to frown between the two.

"No," she insisted, shaking her head.

"Come on, Hermione," Harry pleaded, walking forward to her and Fred, "My dad, Sirius and the rat did it for Lupin. Let us do the same."

She shook her head once more, "It takes a _year_ to become an Animagus." She paused before sighing, "Then again, I'm not going to get rid of lycanthropy anytime soon, so why not?"

"Love you," Harry grinned before pecking her on the top of the head, George pecking her on the ear as Fred kissed her on the temple.

She wrinkled her nose and waved George and Harry away, unaware that, as she did this, she leaned into Fred more.

Bill grinned before digging a vial out of his pocket and tossed it lightly to Hermione, who caught it easily, "Good girl, there's your dose of potion for today."

She frowned at him before stepping away from Fred and downing the foul-tasting drink, wrinkling her nose before glaring at Bill, who sat back down and tossed her a roll.

* * *

><p>"She shouldn't attack you," Fleur said as she lead Harry, Fred and George through the woods behind her and Bill's house, "Eef she does, zough, it ez completely your fault."<p>

"Thanks, Fleur," George snorted as she stepped daintily around roots and such, the boys following clumsily behind. Once they reached a clearing, they were met with a large reddish brown wolf comforting a smaller, lighter brown colored one who was whimpering on the ground with her paws over her eyes.

Harry stepped forward warily, sitting down next to Hermione and smoothing her fur back, "I'm so sorry, Hermione."

She only whimpered more and nudged his knee, looking up at him sadly with her own big, brown eyes. Fred stepped forward as well, sitting in front of her with his legs crossed, reaching his head down to touch his forehead with hers. George scratched her in between the shoulder blades before patting his older brother on the head.

* * *

><p><em>One Year Later<em>

"Keep up!" George ordered, running through the woods with Fred on his heels.

"We're late!" he cried as he jumped over a root.

"So late!"

"Unbelievably late!"

"Merlin, she's going to kill us," George groaned as they skidded to a stop, brushing back the leaves of a weeping willow tree to see that she was sitting there on her rock, waiting patiently for them.

"Sorry – the store was backed up today," Fred apologized.

She only turned her stare up at the moon, fidgeting a little before shaking her head and jumping down from the rock, lying down as George pulled out a book and frowned down at it's pages.

"Okay, '_step one – _'" he squinted as Fred rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Fred asked, sitting down next to her as George questioned the decency of the creatures book.

Hermione jumped up and tugged the book out of George's grasp, throwing it down on the ground and nosing through the pages until it came to a part about the werewolves. Fred looked at her before picking it up, watching as she laid back down and whimpered again before he read aloud.

"_The werewolf is a temperamental creature, but the Wolfsbane Potion helps relieve most of the symptoms. However, when it comes down to female werewolves_…" Fred stared at the page before he looked back at Hermione, who was staring up at the moon again, before walking towards his twin and handing the book to him, leaving the woods and leaving Hermione and George to stand there, sharing confused glances.

* * *

><p>Hermione curled up tighter in her ball underneath the sheets, blocking the light out. For the last few full moons, ever since she'd learned her limitations of being a female werewolf, Fred hadn't shown up, and she rarely saw him on any other occasion. George wouldn't tell her what he was doing, and neither would anybody else in his family. When she asked Bill, he just stared at her blankly before arching an eyebrow and questioning "Whaa?"<p>

She heard her door creak open and shut quietly closed until somebody crouched over her. She stiffened before she recognized the scent that followed Fred around, allowing him to shift through the blankets until he found her.

"Hey," he whispered, making her open her eyes lazily and frown at him.

She poked him on the nose, "You keep ditching me."

"I won't anymore," he said with a grin before heaving her up and out of her warm cocoon, "Come downstairs with me."

She huffed and allowed him to lead her downstairs by one arm, using the other to attempt to push her stolen hoodie over her head. Once she was brought to the kitchen and released, she pulled the hoodie into place and sat down next to Bill, looking curiously at each other before shrugging and turning back to Fred. They were the only ones there, aside from George, Harry and Molly. In fact, Hermione hadn't seen anybody else in the house. But that might've been because her head had been inside fabric.

"I've been working for months on these, George, Harry and Mum helping out and – " Fred coughed, grinning at his brother and Hermione, "You kind of did too."

They frowned at him, Bill speaking first, "What'd you do?"

"Hair samples, DNA – little stuff, you wouldn't have missed it," he waved it away, "Anyway – I think I've got it."

"Got what?" Bill asked as Hermione's eyes dulled and she wondered what explosion would come next.

"The solution!" he explained, throwing his arms up in the air and rolling his eyes, "For most of it, anyway, minor symptoms like the senses and whatnot."

"Fred," Hermione warned, bringing him back to Earth.

"Right, right," he said, pulling out two vials from separate pockets before setting one down in front of either of them. "Drink up."

"What're we drinking?" Hermione arched an eyebrow as Bill sniffed the liquid inside.

"Drink it, you won't die or anything," George grinned as he slid down the wall a little.

"Should we?" Bill arched an eyebrow at Hermione as she stared at the little orange glass vial.

She sighed and uncorked it, raising it to her testing partner, "Bottoms up." She tipped it back, popping back up with a coughing fit. Bill did the same, going slower than her, but still ended up coughing and clutching at his sinuses.

When they recovered slightly, they looked at a beaming Fred and George.

"What _was_ that?" Bill asked, his voice gravelly as Hermione let a few more coughs escape.

Fred was practically bouncing, "You know how those books and stuff keep saying that you can't cure lycanthropy? Guess who just did!"

They gaped at him before gaping at each other before jumping up and hugging him, having everybody in the room laugh as the three jumped up and down.

"We're free, we're free, we're free!" Hermione danced around the room, pulling Harry into it and hugging him as well.

"Best little brother ever!" Bill announced, mussing up Fred's hair as he laughed.

"Ahh – hate to be the bearer of bad news _but_ – we don't really know how it will work with _actual_ werewolves," George winced, making the two stop their happy dances and stare blankly at him. "We have to wait and see at the full moon."

They absorbed this before clearing their throats and regaining themselves.

"Yes," Hermione focused on fixing the hem of her hoodie, "Yes, of – of course." She let out a worried huff of air before sharing a shaky grin with Bill.

* * *

><p>Hermione stared solemnly across the table at Bill, him doing the same as Fred watched the two of them. George was slowly humming different songs, trying to keep himself awake.<p>

The twins had decided that they should use their flat to watch Hermione and Bill, as it was usually where things got wrecked anyway. Bill suggested going to the woods, but they decided against it, as their loft had enough wards and charms that a murderous mountain troll wouldn't have been able to get away.

"Time?" George asked wearily, rubbing his eyes.

Fred checked his watch, "Twelve o' three."

Everybody in the room seemed to groan as George flopped into the little circle they made.

"This is very boring," he huffed before glancing at Bill, "Poof into a poodle."

"For the last time, George – _no_, I will _not_ turn into a poodle," Bill sent a very murderous glare at his younger brother.

"Worst sleep over _ever_," he sighed, slumping into his chair as Fred stretched his arms across the back of the couch as Hermione rocked rhythmically in her rocking chair until she began to hum, making the boys try to guess dully what song it was until they realized that it was a Muggle one.

"What was it like, growing up not knowing about magic?" Fred asked her, interrupting her humming, making her blink and turn to him.

"Well…I didn't know it was real, so I didn't really miss it until I started Hogwarts," she smiled, somewhat sadly, "I remember – every Christmas my mum would drag my dad out caroling with us, and halfway through we'd start singing these mixed up songs. I taught him "God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriff" and he wouldn't stop singing that for anything, even when they asked what he was singing. He'd just sing louder at that point and walk off, leaving me to laugh and mum to apologize before walking off as well." She looked wistfully up at the air, "I hadn't realized how much I missed that."

"We all miss a lot," Bill said, snorting as he grinned, "I remember my last year at Hogwarts. My best mate, Julian Wrice, and his girlfriend threw this huge nonsense party on my birthday, except," he laughed as he grinned wider, "It was nowhere near my birthday, and they knew it."

"I think I liked our seventh year fireworks," George was grinning, mostly to himself.

"Yule Ball was fun," Fred smiled as he shut his eyes, "McGonagall dancing with Ron."

Hermione and George laughed at this before she straightened herself.

"Mister Weasley," she said in an impossibly correct impression of Professor McGonagall, "You are to put your hand on my waist."

"Where?" Fred blinked as Ron.

"On my wa – " she lost it in a fit of giggles, picking her feet up to settle them on the rocking chair with her. Fred and George laughed with her, grinning at each other once it was over. Bill tilted his head thoughtfully at the three.

"I didn't know that," he smiled before shaking his head, sighing and rubbing his hands over his eyes. "Time?"

"Twelve o' seven."

Everybody groaned again.

* * *

><p>Fred sighed, blinking his eyes open wearily as he raised his head, rubbing at his neck. He'd fallen asleep sitting upright on the couch, his right arm flung over on the back while his left was wrapped around something. He looked down, frowning as his eyes adjusted on the thing his other arm was wrapped around. He smiled, picking his hand up to smooth back Hermione's curls. Her head was resting against his leg, one hand gripping the blanket thrown over her, the other limp in her sleep. She looked so peaceful, she looked younger than she normally did.<p>

He sat up more with a hiss, startling her and Bill awake, while George continued to snore loudly in the chair.

"What?" Bill asked blearily as Hermione rose up a little and rubbed at her eye before letting her head fall back on the redhead's leg.

"It's four in the morning," Fred explained, making Bill's eyes widen, "Dawn."

"_YES!_" his older brother shouted, fisting pumping the air and startling George awake. Hermione grinned and sat up, smiling at the twin before reaching forward and pecking his cheek, standing to stretch before Bill hugged her and twirled her around, dancing with her as she laughed.

"It worked?" George asked in surprise, fully awake now.

"Apparently," Fred smiled back at the two as they hugged, smiling brightly at each other.

A crack in their apartment announced Angelina looking worriedly at everyone.

"Did it work?" she asked, glancing between the four before George grinned brightly back and nodded. She beamed back and rushed to go hug Hermione as tightly as she could, pecking Bill on the cheek as they happily shared their joy.

"Oh my darling little baby," Angelina squeezed Hermione, who she'd taken under her wing nearly a year ago, as she had only Molly and Fleur to look after her then, and she felt sorry for the poor girl, making the younger girl gag as she was squeezed, "I'm so glad you're alright."

Hermione laughed, hugging Angelina just as tightly, "I'm glad too."

"So that's it?" Bill asked his brother brightly. "No more transformations, no more being turned away from jobs because of this?"

Fred smiled back at him, "No more."

"You have to sell that as soon as possible," Hermione said, pulling away from Angelina, "Please. So many people – " She and Bill winced with each other before smiling again.

"I've got to go tell Fleur!" he said, pecking Hermione on the head before Apparating away.

Hermione looked around the room before shrugging, "It's not like I won't see Harry and Ron later, and everybody else I would tell is here so…."

Angelina grinned, pecking the younger girl's hair, "Oh Merlin, honey, I'm so glad you don't have to go through all of that anymore."

She smiled and nodded before wincing and groaning, tilting her head to the sky, "I have no idea what I want to do with my life."

"Become a star!" Angelina suggested with a grin, "Or – ooh, ooh – Quidditch!"

As Hermione wrinkled her nose at the last suggestion, Fred and George shared a look before the latter nodded.

"Work with us," Fred suggested, smiling as she blinked between the two.

"We are absolutely rubbish with potions – so many explosions like you wouldn't believe – it'd be very helpful to have somebody who swallowed a Potions book for seven years," George teased before sobering up, "So?"

"What do you say?" Fred questioned.

It was the bright smile and the nod that _really_ changed her life.

* * *

><p>Bill was pleased to find that they didn't have to take the potion month after month. Gringotts finally promoted him, which was brilliant as Fleur had just told him she was pregnant.<p>

The only side effects of the potion were that their senses were still heightened, and that they became a little bit more wolf-like around the full moon, but that was where it stopped. They'd all wished they'd thought of it when Remus was alive, but knew that he was otherwise proud that they even thought of him at all during it. Several other werewolves were appearing at the joke shop, a few just pausing to stare wistfully at the brightly colored vials, as they didn't have enough money, but when they stepped out they were surprised to see a curly haired witch hand one to them with a smile and say it was on the house.

Which, Fred never minded too much, as he was usually too busy trying to figure out the best possible way to unlace the back of her dress in the least amount of time.

But, hey, I guess that's just what happens when Weasley twins start dating their werewolf-turned-employee. A little less productivity, a little more daydreaming about getting their girlfriend's dress off quicker.

* * *

><p><strong>Woke up at 1 in the morning with my cat pinning my arm to the bed and purring like crazy. And then I realized that I drank all of my Dr. Pepper in my room earlier. So I got up and attempted to pull Buffy away from terrorizing my lamp, let her out of my room, and started working on this again. It fizzled. I didn't know how to end it. Sorry.<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	26. Just Believe Him

**Ummm…I think I've got several ideas for chapters now. One based on "Heartbeat" by the Fray, a few more…anyway – **

* * *

><p>Hermione stared up at the staff table, smiling as the last champion made their way into the trophy room. She clapped just as she should've, already turning towards Harry to talk with him when Dumbledore's shocked voice rang out.<p>

"_Hermione Granger._"

Hermione froze before whirling her head around to see that everyone was staring at her. She turned back to Harry and Ron, who were blinking at her as she turned back to stare at Dumbledore.

"Hermione Granger!" he called out again, trying to tell her, in the nicest way possible, to get her arse in the trophy room. But Hermione couldn't remember her name. Who were these people and why were they staring at her? Why couldn't she breathe?

Harry prodded her in the back. "Hermione, go," he said softly, making her numbly stand up and walk down the row of people. She slowed to blink at Dumbledore, who only nodded his head towards the room. She took a shaky breath and glanced at McGonagall, who nodded as well, before descending the stairs.

Once she reached the room, she stood at the archway to play with her fingers nervously, biting her lip as she looked at the other three champions nervously.

"What is it?" Fleur asked, turning Cedric and Krum's attentions to her, "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

Hermione could only open her mouth uselessly. She could only think how tall these three were. What was she doing here, in this height competition? Fleur was much taller, already curvy as any woman was. Hermione had only just found that there was a major difference in foundation and blush.

She was then almost plowed down by Madame Maxime, running out of the way with a squeak as Cedric hid her behind his robes to avoid being squashed as the larger woman blindly paced around the room. Dumbledore, Karkaroff and McGonagall followed, Snape appearing out from the shadows as Moody clunked down the steps.

"This is entirely unacceptable!" Maxime spat, "You, you did this! You planned this!"

"_Two_ Hogwarts champions, Dumbledore?" Karkaroff glared as Cedric, Viktor and Fleur looked down in shock as Hermione continued to hide behind the Hufflepuff. "Surely you are trying to pull something?"

Dumbledore only glared at the two, "Why would I put a young girl in a danger such as this?"

"She only looks twelve!" Fleur said in astonishment.

"I'm – uhh, fourteen," Hermione said quietly, uncomfortable when everybody turned to her.

"Hermione," Dumbledore said softly, Cedric scooting out of the way a little, "Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"

"No!" she said, aghast, "I can barely even reach it!"

"Surely, Miss Granger won't have to compete," McGonagall said, a little shake in her voice giving way how nervous she was for her favorite student.

"The Goblet has made it's decision," Barty Crouch said, startling Hermione as she didn't know he was down there, "If she doesn't compete, then…."

"Then she must compete," Snape sneered down at her as she hid even more behind Cedric, looking up at everybody with big brown eyes.

* * *

><p>"Hermione!" Harry raced towards her as soon as she stepped foot into the Common Room, "Hermione, you're shaking like a leaf! Sit down!"<p>

She did as she was asked, breathing heavily as she looked down at her hands. They were pale, unknown freckles popping up on her thumbs, and were shaking violently with every breath she took. She wondered how she even made it up the stairs without passing out. "I – I didn't – I never put my name – didn't even _want_ – " she stuttered as a means of explanation, but Fred only appeared on the other side of her, looking at her worriedly.

"We know you didn't," he said, rubbing a supposedly comforting circle into her back, although it was more about keeping his hands busy, "Are you okay?"

At this, tears began to come forth and she dug the heels of her palms into her eyes, "I don't know what I'm going to do!"

Harry sat down next to her on the ottoman, pulling her as close as possible and comforting her as everybody in Gryffindor witnessed Hermione Granger breaking down.

* * *

><p>Hermione released a puff of breath, staring resolutely down at the library table. Normally, she'd be staring at a book, but instead her eyes were tracing the stains set there. She looked up when she heard somebody hiss, but quickly went back to the table, thinking that it was someone on the other side of the bookshelf. It was, in fact, someone on the other side of the bookshelf, but this someone was getting very agitated that she wasn't turning around.<p>

"_Granger_," Fred growled a little, making her turn and blink innocently up at him.

"What?" she whispered back as he turned to the bookshelf he'd been hiding behind, his back to her as he pretended to scan the books.

"Go to Hagrid's tonight – alone," he muttered dully.

"What?" she questioned.

"Just do it," he ordered, throwing her a sharp frown before walking back out of the library.

Hermione only blinked out after him before glancing around to see if anybody else had seen the exchange.

* * *

><p>"This is nuts," Harry muttered as he and Hermione wandered to Hagrid's hut, "Hermione, do you <em>really<em> trust Fred enough to listen to him about this? I mean, it _is_ Fred."

"And it's Hagrid too," she whispered back, "Harry, whatever this is about, I want to know."

"You want to know everything," he snorted, sending his bit of the Cloak floating up a bit, wincing at her sharp glare, "Right, sorry."

They stopped at Hagrid's front door, Harry reaching up to knock for them. Fang started to howl and bay at the door until Hagrid opened it up, making the large hound sniff confusedly at the air until Harry ripped off the Cloak and the large dog toppled him into the ground.

"A'right, Fang, in ye go," Hagrid said, taking the scruff of Fang's neck and shoving him back into his hut, "Put tha' back on, and hurry up."

"Hagrid," Harry said as he stood, his Cloak in one hand as he arched an eyebrow at his friend, "Did you do something to your hair?"

Hermione glanced up at Hagrid, smiling a little bemusedly at his expression before turning back to Harry, "Yes, Harry – he combed it. Something you might want to try once in a while."

He glared at Hermione as Hagrid ruffled up her hair, making the two grin as Harry flung the Cloak over them.

They wandered through the forest, Harry keeping a firm grip on Hermione's elbow as she seemed to trip a lot, whether on the Invisibility Cloak or the roots jutting from the ground. Harry and Hermione blanched when Hagrid's pace sped up and they found Madame Maxime standing there waiting for him.

"Ohh, no," Hermione whispered lightly to Harry as he silently gagged. They followed a few paces behind them until Hagrid had them stop at a clearing.

Madame Maxime let out a breath of awe, "Ohh."

Hermione and Harry tiptoed around them, the two gaping at the four dragons growling in their cages, one looking a little smug at having set his caretaker's robes on fire.

"Oh come on, now, Bartis," he frowned at his dragon, shaking the flames away, "That's the fifth time tonight."

"It's Charlie! That's how Fred knew!" Harry whispered to her, but only blinked at her, "Hermione?"

"Oh Merlin, I'm going to have to fight a _dragon_," she whimpered before promptly fainting, Harry reaching forward in the limited space to catch her before she hit the ground.

* * *

><p>"A <em>dragon<em>?" Ron gaped at them, staring at the pale Hermione as she looked down at her untouched plate, "You're going to have to fight a dragon?"

She nodded weakly, letting out a shaky sigh, "I want a decent sized funeral, and all of you can play your favorite songs there."

"Don't talk like that," George discouraged, sitting down next to her as Fred sat next to Ron on the other side of the table. "You'll make it through."

She only pursed her lips and stared at her pumpkin juice. She then began to frown, and Harry and Ron shared amused glances, as this was what usually happened before she thought of something.

Soon enough, she jerked her chin up and glanced between Fred and George, "I need you two to teach me how to fly a broom."

"What about _me_?" Harry asked, offended.

"No offense, Harry, but Fred and George are the most reckless fliers I know," she patted his shoulder, "And I, quite frankly, think I'm going to need it."

He pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm helping too."

"Of course you are," she smiled at him before turning back to the grinning twins, "Well?"

"This Saturday – no Hogsmeade for you, little missy," Fred said, standing up and wagging his finger at her before pausing and grinning, "And no homework either."

She frowned at him and crossed her arms over her chest as he and his twin stood, smirked at her, and left.

* * *

><p>"<em>Up<em>, you bloody broom!" Hermione ordered, glaring at the stick of wood underneath her hand. Harry coughed back a laugh as Fred and George approached the two, Ron flying around lazily as Madame Hooch observed them.

Harry grinned at the twins as they eyed her encounter, "I thought I'd have her practice a little."

"How long has this been going on?" Fred asked as George chuckled.

"Thirty minutes," Harry smiled back.

"Alright there, Granger?" Fred called, making her stop yelling at her broom and huff at him.

"I don't know _why_ you four like this!" she said before taking a deep breath and relaxing, closing her eyes and holding her hand over the broom, "Please, just this once, _up_." Her eyes shot open at the feel of something in her hand, whirling to her side to find that the broom was in her grasp. "I did it!" she grinned and jumped up happily.

Fred quickly stuffed his wand in his back jeans pocket, wincing guiltily at George and Harry, who were smirking at him knowingly.

"Alright, Hermione!" he stepped forward, taking the broom out of her hands, "First step is to get on the broom."

Hermione was thankful for the evolution of women's clothing as she hiked a leg over the broom. Jeans were much more practical to be flying in rather than skirts or dresses. Especially more so when surrounded by boys.

She hissed when her feet left the ground, but Fred was holding onto her with his hand over her smaller one, reassuring her with a smile as George checked over her posture.

"Wow," he said simply after a moment or two, "Perfect posture first try. Good job, Granger."

"Mmyeah," she whimpered as Harry flew in lazy circles around the three with Ron. She envied them for their ease with these things.

"Now, we're going to work on speed, height, and recklessness in the future," Fred said, "Right now, we're just going to try to get you comfortable with the broom."

"I will never be comfortable with a floating piece of wood between my legs," she said blankly before her face flushed once his eyes widened. "That – " she winced " – came out much worse than I intended." Her head whipped around to glare at Harry and Ron as they snickered, George by her feet trying desperately not to do the same. Fred only grinned at his twin, patting her foot and making her squeak and pick her feet up.

"It's going to be a long day," Ron sighed, making Madame Hooch chuckle and nod at him.

* * *

><p>Hermione gaped up at the dragon. It was big. Huge. She felt dwarfed by it.<p>

Of course, it didn't help that she'd gotten the Hungarian Horntail anyway.

"Hermione, move!" Harry ordered, making her dash behind a rock as it's tail smashed down where she'd been a second before. She gasped, hitting the rock harder as she pulled out her wand and yelled.

"Accio Harry's Firebolt!" she shot an apologetic glance over at him before screaming and rolling out of the way, scanning the skies as the fire _whoosh_ed over her. She could've cried when she saw the broom zooming towards her. She made sure the fire was gone before standing up and backing up, judging how to get on the broom before screaming and riding it like a skateboard. She quickly fixed her posture, checking behind her as she went higher up to see that the Weasley twins were looking up at her eagerly, gripping onto each other's arms as Harry held onto Ginny – although he looked like he didn't even notice who he was holding.

"Come on, you overgrown chicken, stand up!" she yelled down to the dragon, wincing when it began to obey her taunting. She flew higher up, watching as the dragon spread its wings and pushed down, floating up with a large gust of air it'd created.

She squeaked before taking another deep breath, focusing as she flew higher and higher, amazed that she wasn't freaking out about the height, despite the fact that she was going vertically. She glanced back down and took a deep breath before allowing the broom to stop flying and drop with her back to the ground. She was vaguely aware the several people were screaming, but she only waited until she was close enough to the ground to start flying again, reaching out with her hand to grab at the egg. She popped back out with the egg up in the air, grinning brightly at everybody until the dragon's tail flicked and sent her into the stands with a scream.

She coughed and groaned as she opened her eyes up at Fred and George, who looked pale as Ginny tried reviving Harry to tell him that Hermione was alive. Ron had smacked down to the floorboards, as nobody had been there to catch him. She smiled weakly up at them, opening her arms to show them the egg. Fred groaned and dropped forward to hug her as tightly as he could without hurting her.

"Miss Granger has got the egg in her grasp! Once she's been assessed by Madame Pomfrey, we'll announce her score!"

"C'mon, Granger," Fred said, picking Hermione up as she gave a gasp of pain, handing over the egg to George as he carried her to the tent.

Madame Pomfrey looked absolutely livid, fluttering about Hermione as she fixed the cuts and bruises and put her arm in a sling, patting her split lip and cursing about dragons and the whole tournament. Fred and George only stood by, smiling lightly at her as Ginny walked in, congratulated Hermione and told the three that Harry and Ron simply would not wake up. Once Madame Pomfrey assigned Fred as her crutch until she was able to get some bed rest, the three went outside of the tent to stand with the other champions.

Fleur was muttering under her breath and ringing out her smoking hair. Viktor looked completely fine with having a black eye and a bleeding nose. Cedric was pale and wobbling on his legs, looking as if he opened his mouth he'd barf.

George dashed back to the stands, holding the egg up in his grasp and weaving through people, sitting down next to his sister to curl around it and glare at whoever came too close.

"To Miss Delacour, we announce third place!"

She huffed at this, pouting as she began to swat absentmindedly at her skirt.

"To Mister Diggory, second place!"

He smiled weakly at this, plopping down on the grass to announce that he was done standing.

"To Mister Krum, first place!"

Krum smirked at this as Fred frowned and glanced back at Hermione.

"You should've won," he muttered to her.

She only tilted her head instead of shrugging.

"_And_ to Miss Granger as well!"

"What?" Fred and Hermione blinked, looking between each other as the other three champions turned towards her. Fred then laughed and ran a hand through her curls, tugging a bit. "Way to go, Granger!"

"Mmyeah," she said weakly, hiding against his side at the glare of the two foreign students.

* * *

><p>"Go Hermione!" Ginny danced around the couch, where the girl was lying on the couch with her feet in Harry's lap.<p>

Hermione smiled, unaware that she was dancing as her eyes were closed, "Thanks, Ginny."

"When you _smacked_ into the stands – I thought you'd broke your neck!" Seamus exclaimed, making a smacking noise with his hands.

"Thanks, Seamus," she frowned a little.

"Oh, and let's not forget those two Bludgers fainting," Dean snickered at Harry and Ron.

Ron tilted his chin up in defiance, "Stuff it, Dean!"

"Yeah, we thought she'd died," Harry explained, a little more calmly than Ron, "We don't know what we'd do without Hermione."

She nudged his leg with her foot, smiling a little, "I feel loved."

"So, ahh – Granger," George cleared his throat, "Mind if we just pop open this little eggy here and see what's inside?"

She shrugged, eyes still closed, "Go for it."

George's face lit up with glee and he quickly pried open the egg, dropping it in surprise when a loud screeching sound pierced the Common Room. Hermione popped up and scrambled for it the same time Fred did, the two bumping their heads together as they tried to shut it. Harry was the one who finally jumped up and clamped the egg shut as Hermione flopped on the carpet and groaned.

"Too much pain today – I want a _break_!" she announced.

* * *

><p>Hermione was glaring at the egg in her grasp, walking through the corridors on her way to Arithmancy. She liked to do this often, as if she stared at it enough she could force an answer out of it. At least, that worked with the annoying boys on her street at home. But this was a stupid egg that would only screech at her.<p>

She stumbled when she bumped into a hard shoulder, making her flail with one good arm and clutch the egg to her chest with the one in the sling, making this strange high pitched noise. But the owner of the shoulder set her back on her feet, but held her shoulders.

"Ahh – Cedric," she winced a little sheepishly, "Sorry, didn't mean to bump into y – "

"Bathe with the bloody egg, Granger," he interrupted.

She blinked at him, "What?"

"Bathe with the bloody egg," he said earnestly, "Prefect's bathroom. The password is 'pine fresh.'"

Hermione just stared at him and watched as he walked off.

* * *

><p>"I'm not bathing with you," Harry frowned at her.<p>

"Then give me the Cloak," she hissed.

"No!" he hissed back, angrily.

"Harry, for Merlin's sake, either you come with me or you give me the Cloak!" she huffed, sending a lock of her hair up into the air and sailing over her head, "Honestly, I'm bringing a bathing suit."

"I've already had a bath," he tried instead.

"In all honesty, Harry, you could use another," she said with a scowl before pouting and getting terribly in his face, using her big brown doe eyes to good use, "Please, please, please, _please_…."

She batted her eyelashes at him as he fidgeted under her stare before sighing and relenting with a glare, "If _anybody _catches us, you were sleep-walking and I was following you around trying to keep you from breaking your neck. Deal?"

She beamed and pecked him on the cheek, "Thank you!"

* * *

><p>Harry sat on the water's edge, his pajama pants rolled up so that he could swish his legs in the water as Hermione held her mouth underwater and glaredat the egg, which was sitting right beside Harry. They both froze and looked up when somebody opened the door and stepped inside, blinking back at a surprised Fred before he quietly shut the door and sauntered in with a smirk.<p>

"Well, let's hope I'm not interrupting anything," he grinned between the two.

"Just trying to figure the egg out," Harry grumbled, making Fred glance back at Hermione and blink at her before she took a deep breath and completely submerged her head in the water. He grinned as Harry smirked up at him before Hermione's head shot back up with a scream.

"Myrtle! This is _not_ your bathroom!" she shrieked as the ghost girl floated up from the water and giggled.

"You're not terribly bright, are you?" she asked in her high pitched, whiny voice.

"Ooh, you're gonna get it," Fred sang, chuckling to himself under his breath as Hermione glared at the ghost.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have somebody expel you!" Hermione ordered with a huff.

"Try dunking it in the water," Myrtle said, acting as if she hadn't heard her.

"What?" Hermione spluttered.

"That's what that other boy did."

Hermione turned her gaze to the egg before looking up at Harry and Fred.

"I want to hear it," Fred said before kneeling down next to the egg and handing the egg to Hermione. As she grinned and nodded, he nodded back and took a deep breath with her before she went under and he plopped his head in.

"_Come seek us where our voices sound_

_we cannot sing above the ground_

_and while you're searching ponder this_

_we've taken what you'll sorely miss_

_An hour long you'll have to look_

_to recover what we took_

_An hour's gone, the prospect's black_

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back"_

Fred quickly went back to air, taking in a deep breath before wondering what the hell that was, while Hermione popped back up and immediately panted out "Mermaids!"

"Ooh, very good!" Myrtle said with glee as Harry handed Fred a towel dully, "It took the other boy ages, and that's with _her_ – " she pointed to the portrait of the sleeping mermaid " – flashing her fins and showing off for him."

"Ohh, I don't like this," Hermione admitted, still breathing heavily.

* * *

><p>"I hate this," Fred announced as Harry nodded sleepily next to him.<p>

McGonagall was lecturing them about how to dance, Hermione smiling gratefully at her sling. McGonagall then yanked Harry out of his seat, making those around him snigger as he winced and danced with his professor.

Hermione giggled as she walked out of the room, Harry following with her with his head ducked as Ron tried to get his ears to stop expressing his embarrassment.

"So – Granger!" Fred appeared on her side, his arm around her shoulders as she felt the pressure and winced. He winced as well, moving his arm to lightly touch the elbow of her good one, "Sorry." She waved the apology away with a smile. "Soooo – thinking about who to ask to the ball?"

"I'm not going!" she gave a laugh, but George appeared on her other side, tutting her.

"Oh, come now, Granger, surely you know," he smirked.

"Know what?" she blinked at the twins as Harry shared a confused glance with her.

"You're a champion – you've got to go with someone, and you've got to be the first to dance as well," Fred offered with a smile.

Hermione froze in her tracks, making the boys walk on without her before realizing that she wasn't walking with them. She was blushing, fidgeting a little as she winced at them.

"What?" she asked, somewhat shrilly.

"Yeah – I thought you knew that," George shrugged.

"Oh Merlin, I can't get a date!" she admitted, "I've got to figure out the task, and I can't waste my time with shopping and make up and _blegh_! Boys fit nowhere in that equation!"

Harry sighed, rolling his eyes at the twins, "We'll see you, we've got to go to Potions."

"Have fun," George waved as he and his twin walked the opposite direction.

* * *

><p>Hermione flashed a grin to Fred as he passed her a plate of food, making him nearly drop it as his eyes widened.<p>

He was suddenly leaning across the table, his eyes wide as he stared at her mouth as she leaned back and grinned at him, "Your _teeth_…"

"Like 'em?" she smiled, her lips pressed together now as her eyes danced.

"You…" he sat back down, pointing at her as he blinked.

"What?" Harry turned the same time Ron did, looking dumbly at their friend. Hermione flashed them a toothy grin, looking proud as George caught it and laughed. Harry sucked in a breath before grinning as well. "You fixed them, didn't you?"

"Maybe," she smiled again before she was yanked out of her seat by Seamus, Dean and Neville.

"Hermione!" they yelped before Seamus wrapped his arm lightly around her shoulders, pulling her into him.

"So, Lass, how's about accompanying me to that Ball…?" he asked, looking a little worried.

"Nah, I'm a better dancer, he'll squash your toes," Dean said, smirking when Seamus huffed at him.

"Hermione, I'm not necessarily asking you to come with me, but if you could help me find a date…" Neville winced, shuffling his feet and looking bashfully down at his toes.

Hermione blinked at the three boys before turning back to Harry and Ron and beaming, "My teeth are magic now, Harry!"

Harry laughed as Fred stood up and separated Hermione and Seamus.

"Now why are you three so concerned about getting Hermione to date you?" he asked, frowning a little as he crossed his arms.

"Not '_dating_' per say…" Seamus trailed off.

"Just a 'hey, save my arse from going alone to the Yule Ball' date," Dean shrugged.

"Don't make me go alone," Neville pouted at her.

She sighed, sending a lock of her hair up into the air, "Stupid teeth, you're not magic at all…." She then turned to the three desperate boys standing before her before smiling softly at them, "I'll go with you, Neville."

He gaped at her, "Hermione, I – I just wanted some help getting a date, you don't have to _go_ with me."

"Oh come on – it's simple girl logic," Hermione rolled her eyes, "You'll be going with a Hogwarts champion, Neville. Girls are going to be going _nuts_ for you if you come with me. I mean, those two might just somehow get dates at the last minute – probably the same with Harry and Ron – "

" – hey!" they shouted.

" – But if somebody hears you're going with me, then they're going to try to steal you from me," she grinned as the boys' heads reeled before Neville grinned and hugged her as tightly as he could. "Either way, you've got a date."

"I swear to Merlin you are a goddess sent down from Heaven," he beamed at her as Dean and Seamus scowled.

"And Dean," she sang, smirking at him, "I hear Luna's very taken with you…."

Dean brightened, gaping at her before twisting to gape at the Ravenclaw table before going back to staring at her, walking away as he continued to beam at her. She laughed as Seamus waited expectantly.

"Oh, Shay, you don't need any help," she patted his shoulder, smiling at him, "Seeing as Padma Patil is fidgeting in her seat and glances at you every five seconds."

Seamus absorbed this before pecking her on the top of the head, "You really _are_ a goddess."

"My turn!" Harry and Ron exclaimed, popping up in front of her, Neville and Fred as George stood next to his twin and patted his shoulder.

"Harry, you go with Ginny, Ron, you can go with…uhh…" she winced, glancing around the Great Hall before brightening up considerably, "Lavender!"

He snorted, glaring at her, "Oh come on, Hermione."

"Well, there's Lisa Turpin."

"_That_ I can handle," he ruffled up her hair before puffing out his chest and strutting away. Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, bumping his shoulder with Hermione.

"Come on, let's go watch this blow up in his face."

She laughed and nodded, following him to their seats.

* * *

><p>She looked up at him, sniffling and dabbing at her eyes. Fred looked down at her, giving her a sympathetic smile before settling down on the step next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.<p>

"Malfoy really was out of line," Fred said after a few moments.

Hermione nodded, letting the curls she'd straightened so carefully frizz up a bit, holding her arms closer to her chest and leaning further into his grip.

"Worst Yule Ball ever," she said monotonously after a bit, making him grin and hold her tighter.

* * *

><p>"Don't worry, Hermione – you'll beat this thing," Neville said confidently, puffing out his chest and grinning at the worried girl, who was looking around anxiously at the stands.<p>

"Do you see them?" she questioned, standing on her toes and looking above people's heads.

"See who?" he blinked at her, dropping his arms.

"The twins," she squinted at the flash of red hair, but frowned when she realized it was Percy. She frowned even more when she realized he was walking her way.

"Hermione," he gave a slight bow, "Have you seen Fred and George recently?"

"No – I'm looking for them, in fact," she blinked, "Ron and Harry can't find them either, and Ginny is – "

"I only found George – no Fred!" the younger girl said, biting her lip anxiously with her older brother, "I think something's going on here."

Hermione nodded, tying her hair back and looking around futilely for the remaining twin. She froze, sucking in a breath as Bagman stepped up and began his announcements.

_And while you're searching ponder this_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss_

_An hour long you'll have to look_

_To recover what we took_

Hermione dove beneath the surface of the water, checking to make sure her bubble head charm was still in place, then swam deeper, wand clutched tightly in her hand.

Fred was down here, somewhere, and if she didn't find him…the thought of it made her want to scream. She had to find him. She _would_.

The water was murky and cold, and the sound of her breathing was getting spooky and annoying at the same time. Something white shot past her once, making her get on guard, but realized that it was Fleur. Poor girl….

She gave a shout of relief, although it went unheard, when she was Fred chained to a rock, next to a little blonde haired girl with Cho on the other side of her. A broom was right next to her, a menacing looking merperson standing there with a large mallet, ready to smash it to pieces.

As Hermione began to untie Fred, she kept glancing back behind her before setting on the little girl. A merperson stopped her, however, and said something in a gravelly tone. She got out her wand instead and shot him away, grabbing the little girl as Cedric floated up to the surface unnoticed with Cho.

Fred took a deep breath and coughed, blinking around as he saw Hermione cradling a scared little blonde girl.

"You're okay, you're okay, I promise you're okay," she said in English before yabbering something in French, quieting her and swimming with her to where Fleur was waiting anxiously.

"Freddie!" George tackled his twin immediately as Krum shot up with his beloved broom, "Granger saved you!"

"Yeah," Fred said simply as Harry draped a towel over her, rubbing her hair to make it frizz, "Yeah, she did."

Harry grinned at her as he dropped his chin on her shoulders, "So, Fred, huh?"

Harry was shoved into the water, Hermione standing over him as he popped back up with a laugh.

* * *

><p>"I love you, I love you, I love you!" Ginny was chanting, jumping up and down as Hermione, Fred and Harry sloshed their way up to the castle, "Hermione, you are so totally wicked! I don't think anybody ever thought to go back and get that little girl! I mean, if Dumbledore wasn't rooting for you, you might've gotten last place!"<p>

Hermione flushed, gripping onto Harry's arm tighter to keep him in between her and Fred, "Thanks, Ginny." _Please don't figure out that I have a massive crush on your older brother yet. Wait until you aren't within screaming range of him. **Please**._

Harry suddenly pulled free of her grip, flashing a mischievous grin at her before turning to Ginny, "Hey, Ginny, I'll race you to the castle!"

She did a deep breath intake and beamed, "Okay!" She and Harry ran off, leaving Hermione to grit her teeth at her friend's back as she was left with Fred and George.

George cleared his throat and stepped in between them, glancing back at Hermione to reassure her, "So, any idea what the next one is?"

"No," she frowned at the ground, fully aware that she was getting her bare feet muddy, but couldn't find the heart to get upset about it, "And I'm fine with it. I just want to be done with this."

"Ever figure out why you were put in anyway?" Fred asked, the first time he'd spoken to her since…well, really, the day before the challenge, but he'd been absolutely silent and serious since she'd pulled him out of the water. That made her feel all the more terrible.

She bit her lip and shook her head, her wet curls sticking to her face annoyingly. George patted her back, grinning hopefully at her.

"Don't worry, Hermione, everything's been okay so far," he shrugged, "Maybe it was somebody trying to pull a prank on you." When her eyes narrowed at him suspiciously, he took a step back, hands up in an attempt to ward her away, "Hey, don't look at me like that, _I_ didn't do it."

This finally got her to grin, Fred smiling tiredly at his twin as well.

* * *

><p>Cedric was smiling down at her and shaking her hand, "It's been fun, Hermione."<p>

She smiled back, "In some way, I guess, sure."

He chuckled, grinning wider at her, "Ready to be done with it?"

"Oh, you have no idea," she sighed, turning her weary gaze to the stands, which were starting to fill with people.

"So, what'll you do when we're done?" he arched an eyebrow at her as he began to smirk lightly at her, "Cozy up to a redheaded prankster?"

Her arm shot out and hit him in the stomach, making him double over from the pain and remain there for a few moments as he laughed.

"Shut up, Cedric," she frowned playfully at him.

"Champions," Dumbledore said as he walked up to them, smiling softly, "The judges and myself have decided to let you pair up amongst yourselves. Should the pair of you win, it'll be decided between the two of you through another challenge as to which school it'll go to."

Hermione turned to Cedric, gripping his arm, "Please pair up with me so we don't have to go through another challenge. Please, Cedric."

He laughed, frowning playfully down at her, "I dunno, you _did_ hit me after all." At her pout, he laughed a bit louder, "Alright, alright, we'll pair up." As she smiled and separated from his arm, he grabbed her wrist and held their arms over their heads, nearly lifting her off her feet, "I call Granger!"

She laughed as Fleur smiled lightly at her and walked over to her.

"Hermione," she said airily, offering her hand, "I'm very glad to have known you. Perhaps, once zis is all over, you can come and see France." She smirked and winked, "I know all zee best bookstores."

Hermione gaped at her, numbly shaking her hand and nodding her head, "I'd love that, thank you."

* * *

><p>Cedric gripped Hermione's arm with a frown, pulling her this way and that as she hexed away things that were meant to stop her. They were thankful to have been paired up with each other, as Hermione quickly knew the answer to the Sphinx's riddles, and Cedric had been able to save her from the confusing fog.<p>

He stopped all of a sudden, Hermione ramming into his back with a gasp as he whispered quietly, "Hermione…_look_."

She peeked out from behind him and gaped at the cup. She looked up at him and he grinned before ushering her forward.

"Go get it," he smiled.

"Cedric, I can't – "

"Go, Hermione, you deserve to," he smiled wider, "It's not going to bite you or anything."

She grinned back, walking towards the cup, hand outstretched, "I'm so glad to finally be done with this – " She was cut off with a gasp as something hooked around her navel and tugged her away, Cedric screaming out curse words as she left.

* * *

><p>She awoke in the middle of a graveyard, looking around at her when she heard something whispering. The cup laid in the grass, making her bite her lip worriedly down at it as she stood. She let out a loud scream as somebody grabbed her arm and shoved her into something hard, ropes binding her to it.<p>

"Wormtail!" she growled when she opened her eyes, although he paid her no mind. She wriggled against the bonds, hissing a little when they cut into her skin. She noticed there was a large cauldron, big enough for probably Hagrid to sit in, and it was currently bubbling, with steam spilling over the rim. Wormtail was muttering something, adding in a bone before walking towards Hermione with a silver dagger. She began to wriggle more, screaming for help when he shushed her.

"Quiet, Girl, it's just your hand," he muttered, drawing the blood from her palm. He brought it back to the cauldron, looking tearfully at it now.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son. Flesh of the servant, w-willingly given, you will r-revive your master," Pettigrew was sobbing as he willingly lobbed off his hand, Hermione choking back a gag, "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe."

Hermione didn't like where this was going at all. She wished somebody would come and help her. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Cedric, Fleur, Harry, Filch if it'd even do anything.

She wished Fred would save her. She wished he'd untie her and hold her and make her smile. Merlin, she was doomed.

Voldemort stepped out of the cauldron, Hermione backing even further into the headstone as he pressed the Dark Mark against his skin. As others showed up, tears flowed more heavily down her face. Her heart was thrumming wildly in her chest, panting out _Please, please, please_. She was scared. She was painfully terrified.

"Ahh, Miss Granger," Voldemort turned to her and bowed slightly, "I'd almost forgotten you were here, standing on the bones of my father. I'd introduce you, but it seems that you and your friends are almost as famous as I am."

His Deatheaters chuckled as she grew whiter. She wished it'd be over now. She was already thinking up things that she wouldn't be able to do if she were dead, and it was really depressing her. Wouldn't finish Hogwarts, wouldn't get married, wouldn't be a mum…. _Just end it, you old codger, and make me quit crying!_ she thought angrily.

"Untie her," he ordered, making her blink when somebody did so, "You're Gryffindor, correct?" He took her silence as a yes. "Then the least I can do, after you helped me regain a stable form, is to let you die like one. On your feet, Granger!"

She hesitated, but grabbed her wand and stood, chin tilted up as they began to circle each other.

"I assume Dumbledore has taught you to duel," he said, "First, we must _bow _– you must curtsy." He bowed, watching her as she bent her wobbly legs at the knees a bit before straightening again. "I do hope somebody finds you. It'd be a wonderful gift to young Mister Potter."

"Don't talk about Harry!" she spat, her eyes glowing.

"Oh, but that's all we have in common, my dear," he said, a highly amused expression on his face, "What else would there be to talk about? Your attraction to a young Mister Weasley?"

She growled, rolling her eyes, getting ready to retort that she _didn't_ like _Ron_ like that, when he cut her off.

"Fred is his name?" he smirked at her dumbfounded expression, "There are many spies at Hogwarts." He tutted, shaking his head, "Such a shame. So much you'll be missing out on."

She straightened her shoulders, frowning when he lifted his wand. They both shouted spells at the same time, shaking them when they connected, red against green, Stupefy against Avada Kedavra. Figures burst out from where the lights connected, an old man coming out first, more and more following until her breath hitched at a carbon copy of Harry, right after a redheaded woman. They immediately went over to her.

"Hermione," Lily began, smiling at her warmly but urgently, "When we tell you to, head back to the cup."

"And watch out for that tree root in front of it," James warned, "If you trip, you'll die."

"Th-thanks," she managed to stutter out as Lily elbowed James in the ribs.

"Get ready, Sweetie," Lily said as the other figures began to advance on Voldemort.

"Let go, Hermione!" James ordered, making her snap the connection and run to the cup, jumping over the tree root like James had said and diving for it.

* * *

><p>"Hermione!" Cedric cheered when he first saw the bushy hair, making a few others start up their applause before she crashed to her knees, sobbing.<p>

Fred was over the edge of the stands in an instant, recovering from the drop quickly and running towards her. He took her shoulders, holding her closely, running his hands through her hair.

"Hermione," he said gently, but worriedly, "What happened, Love?"

"He – he's back," she sobbed harder, painfully aware that everybody was listening, "Voldemort's back!"

Fred froze before tugging her back into him, kissing her hair and her forehead as she gripped tighter onto him. She was tugged up by her elbow by Moody, tugging her away and towards the castle until somebody tugged on her free hand. Fred stood with them, yelling over the screams of everybody else.

"I'm going too," he announced, squeezing Hermione's hand tightly as Moody growled and lead them away.

* * *

><p>Hermione gaped at Barty Crouch Junior as she gripped tightly to Fred's shirt, which was fine as he was clutching the back of her jacket just as tightly. McGonagall was already disappearing as she went down to get the real Mad-Eye Moody as Dumbledore frowned at the man twitching as he was tied to a chair. Snape turned to the frozen people who were gripping onto each other for dear life and rolled his eyes.<p>

"Head back to McGonagall's office," he ordered, making Fred nod numbly and drag Hermione away.

As they walked through the quiet halls, Fred kept a tight grip on her hand. If he knew that he was getting her blood on his hands from the contact or not, he didn't show it, just kept holding her in some way. When they were nearing her office, he pulled them away into a crevice in the wall just behind a tapestry.

"Are you okay?" he asked, running his hands over her face, making her wince when he touched cuts she didn't know she had.

"I – I don't know," she admitted, squeezing her eyes shut and holding his hand to her face, wishing that this was all just a terrible nightmare that she'd wake up from soon enough. Her eyes shot back open though when Fred pressed his lips to her cheek, shoving his nose into the juncture of her jaw and neck gently, his lips resting on the latter and making a pleasant burning feeling.

"Please be okay," he murmured, holding her even closer in the tight space. "I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt." He rose up when he felt the tears trickling down to where his face was resting, immediately moving to brush them away and calm her down again.

"Fred, he's really back," she whimpered as he led her back into his jacket. Merlin, she'd really have to steal it from him later, some part of her brain realized. It was a very brilliant jacket.

"I know, Hermione, I believe you," he whispered, running his hands through her hair, "I believe you with everything I've got."

She only whimpered and hid further inside his jacket, "I just want to stay here, Fred. Forever."

He gripped her a little bit tighter, nodding, "I do too. But we can't. Hermione, I'll be with you every step of the way though, I promise. Just a little bit further, and then we can stay here forever." He pulled away, brushing away her tears, staring into her eyes as she stared into his, "Hermione, I promise with every ounce of seriousness within me that _I won't leave you_." He pressed an urgent kiss to her lips, pulling back as she blinked at him, "I love you far too much."

And Hermione, wedged between him and a wall in the near-dark, covered in blood, sweat and dirt, gripping his jacket as if it were the only thing keeping her alive, looked up at him and fully believed everything he said.

* * *

><p><strong>There'll be a sequel to this, I swear. It was just taking so long and I felt so bad for not updating.<strong>

**And this was getting pretty heavy, Man. ._. Once or twice I kept thinking "_Oh shit, what's gonna happen next?"_ and then I'd blink and think "_Oh wait, that's my job, isn't it?_"**

***sigh* I won't be a freshman anymore as of May 21st…I don't know if that makes me happy or saddens me yet….**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	27. The Never Ending Game Ends

**This chapter is based off of "Heartbeat" by the Fray. If you want, you can go play it, or not. It's not really a songfic, so it doesn't matter.**

* * *

><p>Hermione dropped down next to him, tears already welling up in her eyes as she saw him. He'd been bleeding, his face and clothes covered in dirt, tears in his jacket and jeans, a few cuts on his face. He was so pale. His freckles stood out vividly.<p>

She blinked back tears and brushed his flaming red hair out of his face, trailing her hand along his jaw, "Oh _Fred_…." She brought her hand to her mouth, licking the pad of her finger and rubbing the dirt off of his face, tears finally falling down now. She didn't say anything, just kept to her task. When the dirt was more or less gone from his face, she checked behind her to see George leaning against his mother, both of them looking lost, just as the other Weasleys did.

"You prat," she whispered to him, letting the tears fall now, "You were never supposed to leave us." She looked at his jacket, tugging away a stray thread, letting her hand slip through to his shirt absently when it was taken care of. She should've noticed that his skin wasn't ice cold, as the others had been, but she didn't. She was too distracted with the palm of his hand. She traced the lines there, wanting him to twitch as she cried over him, wanting him to flex his hand to get the tickling to leave him alone.

She sighed, tugging her hands to her as it finally settled on her that Fred wasn't coming back. This made her cry even harder, slumping over to have her hair hide her face as she wiped the tears away stubbornly.

His eyes flicked open, frowning a little as he wondered why Hermione was crying. He reached his hand up, helping her get rid of the tears, making her pull away and gape at him. She gripped his wrist, mouthing out words that wouldn't come out, staring at him wordlessly.

"Hermione?" he asked, his voice gravelly from disuse.

The breath that had remained in her lungs left in a _whoosh_ then, a grin lifting her face as she held his hand to her face, smiling widely before she snapped out of it and sat up straighter, still holding his hand.

"_George!_" she called out, beaming when he looked up and saw that Fred was trying to make an effort to sit up. George blinked before beaming and running towards his twin, crashing on his knees in a power skid and kneeling over his returned twin.

"Freddie," George grinned, brushing his brother's hair back, "You're – you're alright."

"Shit," he muttered, closing his eyes in a wince, "Pain. Shit."

The two laughed, Hermione's a little watery.

"Gonna go to sleep now," Fred told them, peeking an eye open and wincing further, "The light – it, it burns my brain."

Hermione swooped down and pecked him on the forehead, grinning wider as she pulled back, "Welcome back, Fred."

* * *

><p>He was painfully aware of what a cruel game whatever higher deity was playing with him. He'd woken up with her over him. He'd woken up without any pain, wondering why she was crying and wanting her to stop crying.<p>

He'd crashed, spiraled, dived, 'may-day!'ed, plunged, lurched, reeled, rolled, swayed, _fell_ hopelessly in love with Hermione Granger that day.

And it was just a cruel, sick joke to whoever was watching up there.

She'd gone to Hogwarts to teach as the longest standing Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in years. He and George had set up a shop in Hogsmeade, Fred trying to convince himself that it was _not_ because of _her_. When he and George moved into the flat above it, he tried to convince himself that it was because of the lesser commotion. When George said that he'd work the Diagon Alley shop with Luna and Fred could work Hogsmeade with Lee, he tried to convince himself that he wasn't happy about it because he'd see even more of her, but because of being within hearing range of the pranks the kids would pull.

He was pretty sure the Marauders were laughing at him right about now. Maybe they were playing the game. It seemed like something they'd do.

He stood up from his bed, frowning at his closet door before sighing and standing up, wandering around the empty flat. George had begrudgingly left his twin in Hogsmeade, but Fred had insisted, saying that his girlfriend 'really should _not_ be left alone there, no telling whatever fumes we put there could do to her brain.'

George's old room, which had barely been moved into, had white walls and unpacked boxes inside. Fred had his dresser (cluttered with pictures), his nightstand (cluttered with papers of his late-night ideas), his bed (cluttered with sheets he'd just pulled himself from), and a bookshelf of textbooks and a few books he'd read and liked. His walls were a dark blue, the windowed door in his room covered in a white curtain that lead to a small balcony he'd never really been onto. The same door had been in George's room, and they'd supposedly shared it, but George had stood out there more than he ever did, waiting for an owl from either their mum or Luna, or watching the Quidditch match only to realize with a huff that it wasn't Gryffindor playing.

Fred showered, ate, and got dressed in jeans and a white dress shirt, ready to open the store before remembering with a groan that he was in Hogsmeade, and there would be very few people there on a Monday. He slumped down to the store, one shoe on as he wondered where the other was before Lee lobbed it at his head. He caught it easily, grinning at his friend.

"Think you can manage the store by yourself for a few?" he asked as he tied the Converse against the checkout counter.

"Uhh, sure, why?" he asked, arching an amused eyebrow.

Fred grinned back, halfway out the door, "Gonna go bug everybody's favorite professor, of course."

Lee chuckled, "Of course."

* * *

><p>"Boggarts are magical creatures that shift into whatever somebody's worst fear is. Each one is different to each person. One of my friend's worst fear was a giant spider, while another of my friend's was a dementor. Boggarts can be fought back, though, by a spell called 'Riddikulus.'" She grinned as the class laughed, "Yes, I know. Now, to perform it, you must think of something outrageously silly. One of our strictest professors was immediately dressed to look like a student's gran, once. I want you to – " She stopped all of a sudden, blinking ahead of her before smiling, "Mister Weasley, to what do I owe this pleasure?"<p>

Fred grinned as he strode through the room, hands in his pockets as he came to a stop in front of her, "Ohh, nothing, can't I just drop by?"

"Whenever you do drop by, it is never on weekends," she frowned playfully at him as she crossed her arms over her chest, making him notice that she was dressed in jeans and a nice blouse.

He shrugged, mussing up his hair as he grinned, "I'm usually busy on weekends."

She hummed before stepping around him and gathering the attention of her class again, "This is Fred Weasley, one of – "

Several of the second year boys gasped, grins lighting up their faces.

"_The_ Fred Weasley?" one exclaimed, "Co-founder of Weasley Wizard Wheezes?"

"Can I _be_ you?" another asked very seriously, making a few people laugh, including Fred.

"Sorry, Bud, I'm a bit busy being myself at the moment," he grinned, "Maybe next time."

"You know, I was _going_ to say 'one of my friends,' but I don't think they'll listen to me now," Hermione muttered, mostly to herself.

"Listen to your teacher, children!" he said, walking around her and sitting behind her desk, feet up on the wood until he noticed the frown she was giving him. He quickly set his feet on the floor, grinning at her before setting his clasped hands on the wood. She smirked back before turning back to her students.

"Now, where was I…? Oh, yes, boggarts," she nodded, "Tomorrow, we're all going to be working with them. For right now, does anybody have any clue what their patronus might look like?"

"I want to be a cat!" a girl exclaimed.

"I wanna be a turtle!" a boy said.

"I'll be a bunny! Arf! Arf!" a girl giggled as her classmates looked at her strangely, but Hermione smiled warmly at her.

"What's yours, Professor?" one of Fred's worshippers asked.

Hermione smiled and waved her wand, "_Expecto Patronum_." Expecting her otter, she blinked when she saw something else, something she couldn't identify quite yet. "Strange…it used to be an otter."

A few of the kids had to stifle their giggles, because behind her back Fred had just slumped in the chair, his face bright red as he hid his eyes.

Of course Hermione's new patronus was a fox, just like his. That's how the game went, after all.

* * *

><p>Fred frequented Hermione's classroom more often, wondering how McGonagall hadn't come down and whisked him off to detention, but he wasn't complaining that she hadn't. The students would ask him questions when Hermione felt they'd absorbed all of the things they could for that day. The older students would ask him what it was like out in the "real world," while the younger ones would ask him cute little things, like what his favorite color was and when his birthday was.<p>

The little girl who'd wanted to have a barking bunny as her patronus was named Cassidy, he'd realized. She was a Ravenclaw, and mostly ignored for her cute but strange comments. Hermione admitted to him that she often sought out the twelve year old to talk to her.

"She lost her mum and dad, Fred," Hermione admitted quietly once when the last class of the day had filtered out, "Bellatrix. She's in foster care, but they don't understand. I want to take care of her, but I can't. There's rules, and even if there weren't, she'd still get picked on."

Fred told George and Luna about it, and it was the first time in his life he'd ever seen Luna more serious. The next time he visited the second year class, Cassidy had stayed behind to beam at him.

"Luna says that I can have a barking patronus!" she exclaimed, "George says he wishes he could have a barking bunny too!"

Hermione explained to him with a smile that since he'd talked to the two, they'd decided to go and adopt Cassidy and that the papers were going to be finalized at the end of that week. Once Cassidy had skipped off to her next class, Hermione leaned down from where she was sitting atop her desk and pecked his cheek.

"That was very sweet of you, Fred, worrying over her," she smiled softly at him, making Fred entertain the thought of kissing her in a way that would've been completely against the rules of the game, but the moment was shattered when sixth years filtered in.

The game was still in play, he realized with a frown.

* * *

><p>Fred cursed under his breath as he ducked underneath the firework he'd just set off. He sighed and rested his chin in his hand, watching them go off with a slight smile. He'd only realized a few moments later that someone was standing next to him.<p>

"You've added a few new ones," Hermione smiled at him as he grinned back.

"Yeah, we've got to keep it interesting," he shrugged, tugging her over the counter as she laughed. "Why don't you come over here with me?" he smiled, turning slightly away from her students as they wandered around his shop. "What brings you here, Miss Granger?"

She pulled her purse (Ginny'd called it a 'baba bag' once, which made Ron and Harry giggle for no reason) over her head, smiling teasingly back at him, "You interrupt my classes all the time, _Mister Weasley_."

He grinned down at her, "That I do." The two stood and watched as the ceiling of the store lit up, the students craning their necks to watch until they fizzled away or whizzed out the window. Some either stayed and shopped or ran out of the store to continue watching them. When the students began to head out, Fred turned to her, smiling slightly, "Do you want to stay for dinner?"

"Sure – oh, hey, George said you had a boggart somewhere," Hermione said as she followed him up the stairs, "Would you mind terribly if I stole it?"

"Well, I'd only mind if you stole my sock drawer where it's hiding in, but if you put it in a box or something, I'll be fine with it," he grinned over his shoulder at her, "I'll go start cooking."

She nodded and disappeared into the room he pointed out as his. As he was getting out things he vaguely remembered were needed for spaghetti, he heard her grasp and something crash to the floor.

"Hermione?" he asked worriedly, opening his door and finding Hermione crying over him again, only he watched as it shifted to her being the one dead and on the floor, but she didn't notice. He quickly sent the boggart to a box, Spellotaping it shut before turning to Hermione and holding her.

"I'm – I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she cried, "I just - it scared me, because – because I thought it'd be McGonagall firing me or – or something, but it was you again, Fred, and I – I couldn't handle it!"

He rubbed her back comfortingly, smiling slightly as he calmed her down, "Hermione, it's okay, I understand."

She was silent for a few moments before pulling back, shaking her head as she wiped tears from her eyes, "Fred, I – I don't think you really do."

He furrowed his eyebrows at her as she released a deep breath and looked tearfully at him again.

"I can't keep doing this, Fred," she told him.

"Doing what?" he asked.

She stood, fixing the picture the boggart had knocked over and setting it back on his dresser, "What we're doing! Fred, I like you, a lot more than I should, and I know it's going nowhere, so maybe it's best if I just – just go, and we stop doing whatever it is that we're doing, and we leave it at that."

Fred was staring blankly at her from his kneeling position on the ground. Could it be? Was he _actually_ winning the game? Well, no, not now that she was walking out of his room, heading for the front door. He hissed as he shot up to his feet and ran out after her, grabbing her wrist to spin her into him and kissing her fervently, making sure that if this was his one shot he was going to make it count for all it was worth.

* * *

><p>He woke up, vaguely aware that it was Sunday and that he didn't have to work Sundays, which made him quite happy. He usually slept in on Sundays, but today he was up much earlier than he ever was before.<p>

He'd played with her hair, holding it up to the light to let it catch and sparkle different shades of brown at him. He'd kissed her skin, anywhere he could reach that wouldn't disrupt their arrangement. Before she'd woken up, he marveled at how tangled their legs were with each other, but the sheets weren't. When she had woken up, though, they'd talked a great deal, about them to what they were going to do to simple things about whether they liked mornings or not. Fred was pleased, and shocked, to find that she hated them just as much as he did.

"Although," he murmured to her, smiling as she peeked an eye open to glance at him before closing it again in a desperate attempt to go back to sleep, "I have to admit, if every morning were like this, I'd _definitely_ be a morning person."

Hermione smiled, snuggling closer to him and kissing his collar bone as he hummed and drew lazy circles into her back, "Agreed."

* * *

><p>The students noticed that something was up. Professor Granger was assigning less and less homework, up until it fizzled away to none at all, but she made sure they knew the material with pop quizzes that they graded for each other. Her second years checked with every single class, and were surprised to find that it was the same with everyone.<p>

"Cassidy," Roger said, pulling the girl out from her book to blink up at him. He blushed a little, internally cursing his friends as they _knew_ he liked the Ravenclaw girl, but continued on. "Do you know why Professor Granger's been acting weirdly?"

"Like how?" she blinked, shutting her book entirely and making him realize she'd been reading it backwards.

"Like – no more homework, and when we have quizzes she has the other students grade them, that kind of weird?"

"Well, it's painfully obvious, isn't it?" she smiled.

"Umm, no, it's really not," he fidgeted, "Otherwise, we'd all pretty much know."

She rolled her eyes, grinning wider at him as he dropped into the seat across from her, "Professor Granger is very much in love with Fred. She works days and he works nights on inventing things, and he works weekends too. She doesn't give us anything that she has to grade because she wants to spend more time with him." As he gaped at her at this impossibly simple answer, she frowned suddenly, "But don't tell all of that to anybody. Just…say she could have a boyfriend and leave it at that, please?"

"Are they really?" he blinked, "That serious, I mean."

She grinned brilliantly at him, "Would me getting ready to call her Aunty be serious?"

"Yes, very serious," he said once he re-hooked his jaw.

"Don't tell her that either," she ordered with wide eyes, "Fred would _murder_ me if he knew I told!"

Roger nodded and stood, grinning down at her, "Thanks, Cassidy!" And then he acted without thinking and kissed her on the temple, making her freeze and making him pull back with a horrified expression. They stared blankly at each other, blushes on their faces before he mangled out "Gegobeih" and ran off, leaving her to touch the spot he'd kissed and smile at the air.

Roger looked as if he'd just seen Voldemort himself when his friends pleaded for information.

"What is it?" Johnny asked as Lance put a steadying hand on his friend's shoulder, "What's wrong? Roger?"

"I just kissed Cassidy Cooper," he said bluntly, still very shocked that he'd done so.

"Oh you did?" Hermione asked happily as he gaped at her, twisting to glance back at the library door and her, "Well, I'm very happy for you! Although, a word to the wise, George has grown a tad bit protective of her, so if you'd be careful…." She shot him a pointed look and he grinned, tugging his black hair away from his face bashfully.

"Right, thanks Professor," he blushed before blinking at her outfit, "Are you going somewhere, Professor?"

Hermione actually blushed down at her attire. Fred had owled her and told her to dress up tonight, and she didn't know what _exactly_ to wear, so she'd dressed in a deep crimson tank top and a black skirt that reached her fingertips, a long chained necklace around her neck and slip on flats on her feet. "Ahh, yes, actually. Umm," she blushed a little bit further, Johnny and Lance exchanging confused glances as Roger looked completely fine with her, "I'm kind of going out on a date."

"Teachers _date_?" Johnny asked, his mouth and eyes going wide.

Lance rolled his eyes, smacking his friend upside the head, "Shuddup, Stupid, of course they do."

"Have fun, Professor!" Roger grinned as she walked away, waiting until she was almost out of sight before continuing, "And tell Fred I said 'hi'!" He then grabbed onto his friends' arms and tugged them away as fast as they could go.

He laughed as he slowed, grinning at his two friends as they smiled at him weirdly.

"You know, I think this night is just a _little bit_ more special than she thinks," Lance chuckled as the three boys began to make their way to Gryffindor tower.

"Will we have to call her Professor Granger or Professor Weasley next year?" Roger asked.

"So…Cassidy Cooper, huh?" Johnny grinned at his now blushing friend, "I didn't realize you wanted to be related to a professor, Roger."

Roger swung a punch at him, which Lance rolled his eyes at. "Shut up! You're the one who goes on about Sinistra's daughter!"

"He's got a point," Lance said blandly as Johnny's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

A painting overhead chuckled, making them looking at the picture of two twin brothers grinning down at them. The two resembled a great deal to Fred and George, making them gape a bit.

"These three seem to remind me of a few people, brother, but I can't remember for the life of me," one said.

"Well now, Fabian, that seems to be a big problem," he brother grinned, "But fear not, for I remember one group!"

"Who, Gideon?"

"Why, none other than the Marauders, of course!"

"Certainly, certainly!" Fabian cheered as the boys below gaped in delight, "Now I remember the other group as well!"

"Who, Fabian?"

"Why, our own darling little nephews, of course!" He sniffed as he dabbed at his eyes, "Grew up too fast, those two did."

"Err, by the way, boys, you wouldn't happen to know what happened to Fred and George Weasley, would you?" Gideon winced, sheepishly grinning, "We've got two more sets of portraits, but one's in our sister's house and the other is in this _very_ entertaining courtroom, so we don't visit Hogwarts or Molly too often. As you can guess…."

"Well, lucky for you we do know about them!" Johnny grinned, "Ever heard of Hermione Granger?"

Fabian snorted, "Who _hasn't?_ I heard about that girl for ages – I had this weird twitch for a month whenever someone said her name, didn't I, Gideon?"

Gideon rolled his eyes but nodded to the boys, neglecting to tell them how dramatically he'd done it.

"Well, that's kind of too bad, 'cause, uhh, she's dating Fred," Roger scratched his chin and grinned.

"Hopefully he won't chicken out and actually propose to her tonight, too!" Lance grinned with his friends.

Fabian and Gideon gaped before slow grins spread across their faces.

"You know, Fabian, I think we should pay a little visit to Molly's," Gideon smirked.

"She's bound to drag the girl and Fred to dinner _eventually_," Fabian smirked back, "Especially if we're to approve of her."

"You will," Lance called back as he and his friends began to walk down the hall, "I think just about everybody does."

* * *

><p><strong>…I want to sleep. But I can't. I want to, but I can't. <strong>

**Arrrrggghhh.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	28. Purple, Orange, Blue, Somebody Loves You

**Have I ever told you people that I love you to death? Because I do. I really do. It's what you write! You write these reviews that make me grin and make me want to hug you, each and every one of you. Gah. Stop being so awesome. … Actually, no, keep being awesome, there needs to be more awesome people like you guys out there in the world.**

**This chapter is a sequel to 'The Never Ending Game Ends,' (AKA, the last chapter.) It was brought to my mind when Smiles123 suggested it. Thank you very much. **

* * *

><p>Hermione frowned at Fred as he started to grin sheepishly at her.<p>

"It's not what it looks like," he was starting to laugh a little now.

"You turned my hair purple, Fred," she frowned even more at him, crossing her arms over her chest, "_In class_. One second it's this completely normal brown shade and the next – _purple!_"

He was wincing, rubbing the back of his neck as he avoided his fiancé's gaze, "Err, right, about that…."

"Ugh, Fred! You know how much I hate my hair when it's _brown!_ You can't just – not when I – ugh!" she gritted her teeth, "I can't _think_!"

"Hermione, wait, please, let me explain," he called out after her as she went out the front door and down the stairs to the shop, "Please, I swear – it's not what it looks like!"

She ignored him and walked out of the store, making him sigh and thunk his head on the doorway, chanting out "_stupid, stupid, stupid…._"

Hermione was wandering Hogwarts that night. She hadn't realized she'd been so upset about him changing her hair color – Ginny would've probably laughed it off and loved it. It wasn't so much the color – she loved the color purple after all, it was the way he'd made fun of her unintentionally in front of her students. How were they going to sit still and pay attention when all they could remember was her having purple hair?

"Oy, Gideon, someone's walking around down there," a gleeful voice whispered rather loudly, "And she's got _purple hair!_"

"Ooh! Where? I want to see!" There was another voice before a grunt, "Move, Fabian!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked up at the portrait, frowning at them before blinking as they blinked back at her. They were practically Fred and George sitting there, which made that little pool of hurt pang uncomfortably in her stomach. Although there were major differences, such as eye color and hair shade and the fact that both of them had two ears.

"Hermione Granger?" one asked.

"Yes," she said warily, walking closer to them.

"Whoa," the other scratched his head, "Never seen you before. Do you normally have purple hair?"

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, frowning at the two of them, "No, my boyfrien – " she shook her head and caught herself, "Fiancé did it."

"And, uhh, who is that again?"

"Fred Weasley."

They both gasped and beamed, hands flying to their faces at the exact moment.

"Freddie's getting _married_?" he caught his brother's arm, "Do you hear that, Gideon?"

"I do indeed, Fabian!" Gideon grinned before they ran out of their frame, pushing a stern looking wizard out of his, "Gideon Prewett, at your service!"

Fabian popped up in the portrait right in front of her, beaming, "Fabian Prewett, in your debt!"

"Ahh," Hermione stepped back as Gideon popped up next to him, blinking, "Did you say Prewett?"

"Molly Weasley's brothers, dear," Fabian smiled politely.

"We're that empty frame in the family room," Gideon added.

"Ahh – that's why Molly glares at it and mutters 'prats' when she thinks no one's looking," she chuckled before smiling at them, "Why do you have a portrait in Hogwarts?"

"We bugged Dippet about it until he relented and promised a spot on the wall for us when we died," Gideon smirked.

Fabian glanced sadly around the hall with her, "However, it's a very unused hallway."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hermione frowned before smiling, "I'm sure McGonagall would be happy to move you."

"Doubt it," Fabian snorted with a grin, "Professor Minnie thinks we're 'contagious to others.'"

"She's completely right, however, but words _hurt_," Gideon grinned when she chuckled before looking worriedly at her, "Hey, quick question. Why aren't you with Freddie right now?"

She blew her hair out of her face before sighing, "He turned my hair purple in front of my class, and I'm blowing off my steam by pacing Hogwarts."

"You're not going to yell at him?" Fabian blinked, lurching forward in the frame.

"No – I hate yelling at him," she told them, "I only ever yell at Ron, and that's because he does something stupid like say my cat ate his rat."

"Wish Emmeline felt that way," Fabian muttered under his breath before smiling at her, "Ever think he didn't mean to?"

She stayed silent, staring off at the old granny painting that was giving the twins the bird for shoving her into Sir Cadogan's painting. She bit her lip, twisting the hem of her shirt before looking back at the twins and smiling, "You should stop by the Burrow much more, Molly would appreciate it loads. I think she really misses you two, Arthur, the boys and Ginny as well."

"Sure thing, Granger," Gideon smiled before the two were walloped over the head with a cane, the old lady shoving them out of her portrait, making Hermione laugh as she walked down the hall.

* * *

><p>"Fred?" she asked quietly as she opened the door, making him sit up on the couch and wince at her. She took in his blue hair before smiling and sitting down next to him as he continued to apologize and explain the charm he'd been working with when she'd entered the room and he hadn't known that the after effects of it would do <em>that<em>, up until she covered his mouth with hers, effectively shutting him up as she smirked against his lips.

"Fred, I'm not mad at you," she smiled once she pulled back, making him blink at her, "I thought you'd done it on purpose and I got so upset about it is all. In fact…." She kissed him once more, wrapping her arms around his neck, nudging his nose with hers when they pulled away, "I'm really glad it's purple and not _pink._ I hate the color pink."

Fred smiled at her and started the kiss this time, wincing once more when they pulled back, "I really am sorry though." He arched an eyebrow, "What made you change your mind? About me not doing it on purpose?"

She smiled, pecking him on the lips with a giggle, "It's a bit of a stretch. But, your uncles."

"Ahh – you met them," he grinned, settling them both against the back of the couch, "George and I saw their portrait at Hogwarts and nearly fell over and died. I'm glad you met them though, they were my favorite uncles from what I remember."

She grinned, "Not a big fan of Muriel, hmm?"

He snorted, cringing, "You know, I was completely ready to take you into the bedroom where we could continue our 'conversation,' but then you bring _that_ up and I don't really feel like 'talking' then."

"Topic change then!" He laughed and held her closer, burying his face into her purple curls, "The sky is blue, grapes are purple, my socks are orange!"

He chuckled and kissed her temple, still smiling, "I love you, you barmy nut."

She pecked him back, grinning, "Takes one to know one."

* * *

><p>"MOLLY!" two voices sounded happily, making her gasp and nearly drop the plate she'd been washing. Arthur looked up and blinked with her as Harry and Ginny exchanged confused glances.<p>

"It's not," Molly muttered, walking into the family room with Arthur, Harry and Ginny following.

"It's not who, Mum?" Ginny questioned.

"Molly! Arthur!" Fabian and Gideon exclaimed as Molly finally grinned. They gasped when they caught sight of Ginny, beaming.

"Is this Ginny?" Gideon asked happily as she stepped up to the portrait, "Ohh, Ginny, we haven't seen you since you were…well…born." He winced and stepped back, shoving Fabian into his place.

"Molly, we've just met her, and we've approved," Fabian grinned at his sister.

"Who? Ginny?" she blinked, making them roll their eyes.

"No, Hermione!" he snorted, turning to a grinning Harry and Ginny, "And she's supposed to be the terribly smart one in our family, can you believe it?"

Arthur chuckled, "Well, it's hard not to love Hermione."

"Purple hair and all," Gideon nodded sagely as Harry sighed.

"Oh Merlin, he messed with her hair," he said before humming, "At least it's not pink."

"She hates pink," Ginny continued.

* * *

><p><strong>…Mmyeah….*shrug*<strong>

**I can't believe we're nearing (or are at) 200 reviews! That's 100 from chapter 17 to now! Thank you so much, you guys, I really appreciate it!**

**To our 200th reviewer (who I'll announce in the next chapter, which should be 27's sequel), if you could PM or leave the following information in a review, I'll write you in a chapter! Unless, of course, you've already had a chapter, in which case you'll be in the 201st reviewer's chapter as a cameo. **

**Requested Name:**

**Gender:**

**Hair: (color and length, style, that kinda stuff)**

**Personality:**

**2 or 3 likes:**

**2 or 3 dislikes:**

**Favorite character that you'd absolutely love to be paired up with (that isn't Fred): **

**House:**

**And if there's anymore information I need, I'll try to contact you (whoever you are….)**

**Thanks again guys! Let's try to get it up to 300 soon! :D**

**Love, (like, _really_ love)**

**Birdie**


	29. He Believes Her

**Our 200th reviewer was _LoneAlpha_! However, since a lot of you sent in your information and _guilt-tripped me_, I've decided to write chapters for your birthdays. PLEASE NOBODY SEND ME ANY MORE INFORMATION, I'M FEELING ENOUGH GUILT. *pouts***

**As promised, the sequel to chapter 27 – "_Just Believe Him._"**

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><p><em>Fifth Year<em>

"Look," Harry sighed, looking tiredly at Hermione across the table from him, who had looked pale ever since the Triwizard Tournament, where she'd been picked as the fourth champion. Barty Crouch Junior, disguised as Mad-Eye Moody, had set her up to help bring Voldemort back. "We _all_ know that Umbridge is ruining this school – she's not teaching us anything when we _need_ to know how to defend ourselves. So we're coming up with a group to _know_ how to defend ourselves."

Hermione scooted a paper forward, letting it rest in the middle of the group of kids huddled at one corner of the Hog's Head. Already at the top of the list was _Harry Potter, Ron Weasley _and_ Hermione Granger_ in varying scripts. Fred, who was right next to Hermione, reached out and took it, taking the quill from Harry and getting ready to sign his name before George reached over and did it first with a cheeky grin at his brother.

"And remember," Harry continued as more and more people signed up, "Nobody can know."

* * *

><p>Hermione was standing in the middle of the arguing group of people, her eyes closed and her hand pinching the bridge of her nose before she silenced everybody with a flick of her wand. Once they realized that they didn't have the use of their voices, they turned to her expectantly.<p>

"You want to know how I know Voldemort's back?" she questioned, gaze hard, "You want to _know_ how I know this is real? Try being pulled from the middle of a maze into a graveyard. Try being tied to the headstone of somebody, ropes digging into your skin as somebody starts brewing some potion that you've never even _heard_ of. He plops in a bone from the grave you're standing on. He cuts off his hand and drops it in. Then he pulls out a dagger and gets _your_ blood to put in it. And then there's this white figure, calling for an audience to your murder. You don't know how you got out of it, you don't know what would've happened, but you_ damn well know _that you won't let anybody else feel as scared as you did!" The spell was gone by that time, but nobody spoke. "If you want to leave, there's the door."

Nobody moved, except Fred, who seemed to have appeared next to her to grip her hand tightly. She gripped it back with the same force and gave him a small smile as well.

* * *

><p>"There will be no need for wands today," Umbridge announced to the fifth year class as she walked down the aisle the desks made.<p>

Hermione dropped her wand in her bag and dropped her book in front of her with much more force than necessary and muttered loudly, "More like 'no need to think.'" Harry, seated beside her, froze with a hiss as Ron whispered out a harsh "_Hermione_" behind her.

Umbridge turned to her before walking up to her desk, "What was that, Miss Granger?"

"I said 'More like '_no need to think_,''" she answered swiftly, not even pausing to register that Harry had slumped his head onto his desk.

"And why is _that_?" she questioned before adding a "hm?"

Hermione stood, proud to find that she was an inch or two taller than the toad, "Because you're having us sit here, learning _nothing_, when Lord Vol – " Ron prodded her in the back to get her to stop before she continued, "When the Dark Lord is out there _laughing_ at the sorry excuse of a teacher you're making. You're more like an executioner than anything."

The two had a stare down before Hermione turned to the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, "I saw him that night! He tried to kill me!"

"Stop telling _lies_, Miss Granger," Umbridge demanded.

"Lies? Lies?" Hermione scoffed, "You think that I'm lying about him calling an audience to my death? Do you really honestly think that I could even _think up_ a story like that?"

"Be quiet," she gritted.

"The headstone I was tied to was 'Tom Riddle,' there was a tree root in front of the cup that I had to jump over, there was fog hanging around my ankles," she cut off sharply, "You think I could forget, let alone think up, something like _that_? Something that repeats itself in my dreams night after night?"

"DETENTION!" she screamed, "Detention, tonight, my office, eight o'clock!"

Hermione picked up her bag and slammed the book on the floor as she hooked it over her shoulder, "Wouldn't miss it for the world, Dolores." She walked out of the classroom without a second glance, practically growling as she made her way to Gryffindor tower. Fred, George and Lee all jumped, as did a few other seventh years who had a free hour at this time, when they saw her.

"Oh no," Fred said immediately, getting up from the couch as she dropped her bag and scrunched up her hair in an attempt to calm herself down. "What happened? Hermione? Why aren't you in Defense? What did you do? Should I be proud or mad?"

Hermione slid down the wall as George and Lee walked over to them, letting out a sigh before grinning and retelling them the story. By then, all of the other seventh years were around them as well. When she finished, only Fred and George were the ones who weren't grinning.

"You're my role model," Alicia exclaimed before dropping down and kissing her hair, "I now dub you my little sister!"

"No, she's mine!" Lee exclaimed as Hermione began to laugh. She quickly stopped it at the looks Fred and George were giving her and shrunk against the wall.

"Hermione," George began with a frown, "Did you happen to get detention?"

"Err," she faltered, "Yes. Tonight at eight o'clock."

Fred let out an annoyed huff before turning back to her, "Go and apologize."

"_What?_" she jumped up and blinked at him as everybody else gaped at him as well.

"Look, if it was anybody else, I'd be rooting for you," he admitted, "But not with Umbridge. Look, I hate her too, but you _can't_ get detention with her, Hermione."

She studied him for a moment before frowning calmly and crossing her arms across her chest, "Alright, Percy, that's enough of that. Stop imitating Fred – you're doing a terrible, lousy job of it."

"Hermione, I'm serious!"

"And that's what's scaring me!" she picked up her bag and started to walk towards the girls' staircase, "Look, I can't let that toad think I'm just some stupid little girl. Fred, I love you and everything, but I'm stubborn. I admit it – I'm very stubborn. I can't let her get away with all of this."

Angelina ushered everybody away from the twins except Lee, who turned to George and winced.

"First time she's said it to him and it's like _that_," he grimaced.

"Maybe it's a good thing she's stubborn," George shrugged, ushering Fred back to the couch, "Maybe she won't…."

"Then what'll Umbridge do to her, George?" he sounded tired, "Suspend, expel, what?"

George only winced and shrugged and patted his back, "It'll be alright, in the end."

* * *

><p>Hermione was well aware that she was crying, but she ignored the pain as she tore the sleeve of her robe away and brought her wand out, pointing it at the angry marks on her skin. She muttered a few spells before pausing and using one more, making her hiss and dig her nails into the palm of her hand. She swore a little as she inspected the little cuts she'd made, jumping when somebody's hand appeared on her shoulder.<p>

Fred kissed her temple, glancing down at her hand before grinning.

"It's basically what she's saying anyway, and since I can't get rid of the other ones," she whispered, holding her hand out to him so he could see it more clearly.

_I must not tell the truth_.

He shook his head, kissing her on the lips before pulling back to hug her, her injured hand behind his neck, "I love you, Hermione."

"I love you too," she winced and pulled away a little to look up at him, "I'm sorry the first time I said it was like that, I mean…."

"I know you're stubborn," he grinned, pecking her cheek. "You're you."

* * *

><p><em>Sixth Year<em>

Hermione sighed, looking out the window once more, watching the rain drops drip down the glass. Several books were lying open in front of her, but she couldn't bring herself to read them.

She was _that sad_.

Ginny dropped down next to her, slowly bringing a chocolate egg out from under her robes to nibble on it before handing Hermione a handful of brightly wrapped crème eggs. Hermione felt her mood bubbling up as Ginny smiled at her, handing her a note as well.

_Hermione – _

_I'm sorry Ginny had to be the messenger, but Ron would've eaten them all. _

_Happy Easter, Love. Stop being so stressed and go walk outside. Trust me – I think you'll like what you'll find out there. _

_- Fred_

_(PS – I am getting rained on all alone. And I don't like it one bit.)_

Hermione gaped at the note before gaping at Ginny, who was already closing her books and putting a few up. She glanced up and rolled her eyes before shoving the crème eggs into her pocket and ushering her out of the library, "_Go, Hermione!_"

* * *

><p>Hermione sighed, glaring at Ron and Lavender mushily call each other pet names. She glanced over at Harry, who was sharing the table at Hogsmeade with them as well, and snorted softly as she brought her glass of butterbeer to her lips.<p>

And then she heard it.

"Won-Won," Lavender said gleefully, making Hermione's eyes widen before she had to stop the liquid from going up her nose, coughing a bit before laughing with Harry about the whole ordeal as Ron blushed and glared at them.

* * *

><p>Hermione was hugging herself, tears running down her face as she sat next to Ginny, who was gripping Harry's hand. She looked up when somebody sat next to her, throwing her arms around his neck when she realized it was Fred. He rubbed a circle into her back, still doing so when they broke the hug.<p>

McGonagall's voice was wobbly, a handkerchief clutched in her hand, "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was a great man…."

* * *

><p><em>Seventh Year<em>

Hermione was flying. She was darting over the crushed pieces of wall and hexing anybody who pointed their wand at her. Her legs were going to ache in the morning, if there even _was_ a morning in which they could ache during.

However, when one is flying, one suddenly forgets that they need to learn to brake as well.

Fred felt the air _woosh_ out of him, tumbling with Hermione as she gave a little scream. Percy, George and Harry paused to blink at them before freaking out about the wall that crumbled down.

"He was _right there!_" Percy exclaimed, his freckles popping out as George groaned and clutched at his hair, Harry rubbing at his eyes.

"Hi," Hermione said meekly, half of her sitting on top of him as he blinked up at her.

"I think you just saved my life," he told her.

"In the process of nearly killing you by knocking you down, sure, why not?" She smiled when he grinned at her before hissing, "_Ahh_, my leg."

He blinked and rose up a little, biting his lip when he saw that her leg was pinned underneath a large chunk of wall.

"Perce! George! Can you help us?" Fred asked, making his brothers rush over to lift the chunk off of her, George helping her up and leading her into the Great Hall. Fred stood, dusting off his jacket and watching his twin and Hermione walk off, George doing most of the walking up until he gave up and just carried her with much protest from his package.

Percy coughed, making Fred blink at him as he held out a fist, "You dropped something."

Fred turned very pale when he saw the ring in his brother's grasp, looking up at the smirk and the arched eyebrow, "Now what are you doing with great gran's ring, Freddie?"

Fred took it back from his brother with a frown, shoving it back into his pocket, "Stay quiet, Percy."

Percy grinned, nodded, and clapped him on the back before running off to go get a Deatheater off of his girlfriend.

* * *

><p>Hermione rubbed at her leg with a frown, cursing the ghost pains that occasionally still flared up, despite having Madame Pomfrey fix it quickly. She sighed and looked around at the dark room she was sharing with Ginny at the Burrow. She was definitely <em>not<em> having an easy time going to sleep, and wondered if Ginny had taken a Dreamless Sleep potion, as that was the only way this girl could be sleeping so soundly after the night.

Ginny finally began to snore, making Hermione smile and stand gingerly on her bad leg. Poor Harry, he'd have to deal with that eventually.

Hermione wandered down the hall of the Burrow, taking care to miss the creaking floorboards as she walked down to the living room, intent on reading _something_ to take her mind off of everything, up until she saw a red head slumped against the couch. As she was wondering whether this was Fred or George, she missed the last step and hit the floor loudly, one hand clutching the banister as the other gripped the wall, her still sore leg hovering over the one that'd made the noise.

He looked up, making her find that this was Fred as he grinned widely at her as she winced and shuffled her way over to him quietly. He opened his arms up for her, tugging her into his lap and reaching behind them to cover them up with a blanket.

Hermione smiled as she moved and rest her head against his shoulder, smiling a little bit wider when he lowered his head to hers and left his lips on her forehead.

"I love you, Hermione," he told her as she finally began to feel sleepy.

"I love you too, Fred," she whispered back.

When Hermione woke up, she and Fred were still on the couch together, despite the fact that the sun was just coming up and she had absolutely _no_ desire to wake up. She stretched her arms and legs out underneath the blanket, being careful not to wake Fred when she stopped and pulled her hand up so she could see, confusion on her face.

There it was. The little ring on her left ring finger. It was gold and had a dark red gem in it, settled in the middle of two littler diamonds. It was so simple, but the meaning behind it was gigantic.

"Fred," she hissed, poking him in the side to make him blink his eyes open and look blankly at her, "Fred, what is this?" She showed him her hand, ring facing towards him.

He blinked at it for a few moments before glancing back at her, "Well, it's a ring."

"I know that," she frowned.

"It's a wedding ring."

She bit her lip.

"A bit unconventional, really, but we're hardly conventional, and besides – I _really_ just wanted to hold you, and you looked like you needed the sleep," he shrugged, running a hand across his face before looking at her with one eye hidden behind his hand. "Hermione, love? Could you say something, please? Somewhere along the lines of 'yes'?"

She shook her head, making Fred drop his hand as his heart plummeted into his stomach, but he blinked when she grinned and kissed him fiercely, him responding back warily. She pulled back and smiled wider, wrapping her arms around his neck, "_Of course_."

And he sat there with her in his lap, cuts along his face with dirt that he was pretty sure would _never_ come off, the blanket having fallen halfway off of them, his hair wayward and his clothes rumbled, sat there and grinned and believed her with everything he had, just like he had all those years ago in the crevice in the wall.

* * *

><p><strong>…Uhh…Yeah. <strong>

**Well…**

**This is awkward…**

**I've got nothing to say here….**

**Except for…**

**Of course…**

**This is always at the end of every chapter….**

**You're wondering if I'm going to do it or not…**

**I'm wondering that too…**

**I mean, I do it entirely too often…**

**There's not even a point to it anymore….**

**…**

**…**

**…**

**I feel so lost….**

**…**

**…**

**Love, **

**Birdie**


	30. To Tell the Truth

**Here's our 200th reviewer's chapter! Congrats, LoneAlpha, for getting us to that checkpoint!**

* * *

><p>Aatikah sighed, her lips pursed as she watched the customers mill around in the brightly colored shop. As her bosses were Fred and George, they told her they could wear "whatever she wanted whenever she wanted, so long as it wouldn't scare away little children." So she was wearing a dark blue dress with bright orange converse, multiple bracelets on her wrists so she could hear them clank together when she got bored enough. She sighed once more, blowing some of her fringe out of her face before bringing some around to inspect the black shoulder-length locks. Nothing out of the ordinary, she sighed and stared out at the sea of people once more.<p>

The door opened and in stepped a very angry Luna Lovegood. She marched her way to Aatikah, arms crossed over her chest as the former Ravenclaw took a step back.

"Where are they?" a very hard voice asked, definitely not Luna's dreamy one.

"Ahh – Luna, really, whatever they've done, I'm sure it's not bad enough to leave me without a paycheck," Aatikah giggled nervously as she stared dully back at her.

"I'm Hermione," she said, making her blink at her.

"Go get them, Love!" she pointed to the back room, where she swept back the curtain to glare at the two redheads.

"Lovegood?" George blinked and set down a Puking Pastille, as Fred slowly whirled away from her in his chair, "What're you doing here?"

"I am _not_ Luna, I'm _Hermione!_" she gritted her teeth as the customers outside turned their attention to her, Aatikah sliding up close to peer into the room.

"Aah," George turned to Fred, who was smirking just a little as he tinkered with something, "Well, I'm sorry, but it seems our complaint box is out of order."

"Of course it is," she snorted, hands on her hips, "Honestly, Fred, when will you just learn to leave me alone?"

"Where'd it happen?" he asked instead.

She huffed, "In the middle of a business transaction, mind you. I was shaking his hand when it happened. I just _lost_ my biggest case of the _year_ because of you, Fred!"

"Freddie," George groaned with Aatikah covering her eyes and shaking her head.

"You're too fun for that job anyway," he shrugged, setting his feet up on his work desk.

Her eyes widened before narrowing at him, "Fred Weasley, you're not trying to get me _fired_, are you?"

"Freddie, say no," George was wincing, "Please just say – "

"Why yes I am!" he grinned brightly at the now-blonde, making his twin and Aatikah slap their hands over their eyes in sync.

" – Anything but that," George continued with a groan before wincing at Hermione, handing her a vial, "It's the antidote, I swear."

Hermione took it, looking warily at him before downing it. They waited until her hair started to curl and the brown started to seep in, her eyes shuddering from grey back to brown. She glared further at Fred before walking out of the room, mumbling to herself.

"Fred, that was mean," Aatikah announced, huffing at him, "Why do you want to get her fired?"

"So she can work here!" he grinned brightly at her.

"Why do you want her to work here?" she blinked at him as George rolled his eyes at her.

"Because he fancies her," he snorted, glancing back at the Pastille, "He's fancied her ever since she got detention with Umbridge."

"Yup," Fred was twirling around in his chair, unashamed.

"You're absolutely _barmy_ if you think she'll date you if you get her _fired_," Aatikah frowned, "She'll hate you if you do that."

Fred dropped whatever was in his hand, stopping in his twirling to blink at her, "I…I never thought of that."

"Of course you didn't," George scoffed, "Because you've already messed it up."

"Look, Fred, just tell her the truth," Aatikah said softly, "Hermione's a very understanding person."

"You've only ever seen her in here," Fred arched an eyebrow, "And she only ever comes in here to yell at me."

"Exactly," she smirked, "She could've killed you all those times instead."

Fred looked uncertain, while George snorted and chuckled at her, "Tell her the truth? Honestly, Tikki, do you know what you're saying?"

She straightened up at the nickname, frowning at him as she crossed her arms over her chest, "_Yes, _I know what I'm _saying_. If you want a no-mess situation, it's the easiest thing to do."

"Who says he wants a no-mess situation?" George was frowning at her, leaning a little towards her, "Maybe he likes the mess."

"Maybe _she_ doesn't," she countered.

Fred glanced between the two as they glared at one another, "I'm getting the feeling that we're not exactly talking about me here."

"No – we are," they backed off, still frowning at one another.

"Doesn't seem like it," he muttered, picking the thing up off of the floor and continuing to fiddle with it, "Just – don't worry about it. I'll figure something out."

* * *

><p>Hermione smiled brightly at him, shaking his hand, "I'm so glad you believe me, Sir, and thank you for everything."<p>

He nodded politely, "No problem, Miss Granger. Take care."

"You too!" she called out, the grin still plastered on her face. As soon as the door was shut, she dropped into her chair with a groan, glaring at it. "Ugh, I hate my job."

She rested her elbows on her desk, frowning down at the wood before glancing over at the picture. They were all at the Burrow, Teddy perched on Charlie's shoulders as he waved happily at the camera. Bill was holding Victoire, Fleur slightly round with their second child, although she was much more round by now. Percy and Penelope were waving happily as well, Molly and Arthur standing beside each other and grinning. Fred and George had their arms slung around one another as George's fingers peeked above Ron's head to form bunny ears, where he was oblivious as he stood behind Harry and his sister. Hermione was standing next to them, a little away from the rest of the family before Fred grabbed her arm and towed her into his side, making both of them grin.

She smiled at the picture before frowning and slamming it into the desk, huffing as she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. She was supposed to be mad at him. She was _not_ supposed to _not_ be mad at him.

"Hey, Hermione?" a familiar voice said from the doorway, making her look up and blink.

"Aatikah? Err, hi. What's up?" she questioned as she walked forward and took the visitor's chair.

"I've got a little…proposition for you," she grinned, glancing back at the frame.

Hermione arched an eyebrow before grinning as well, "Do go on."

* * *

><p>Fred awoke that morning with a frown, rubbing his hands over his face before smirking at nobody.<p>

_Gotta love mornings_, he thought to say, but instead "I hate mornings" popped out. He blinked before trying again, ending up with the same results. He sat up, glancing around his room before tugging a shirt on and heading out into the living room, finding George sitting there with duct tape over his mouth.

"You too?" he asked worriedly, making his twin nod. "What is it?"

George shrugged before muffling something out, making his sigh and peel the tape off with a wince, "It's some kind of truth spell or charm or hex or curse. I'm using tape so I won't say something embarrassing."

"Got any more?" he questioned, making George wince as he slapped the tape back over his mouth and shook his head. Fred sighed, looking at him pleadingly to make him raise his wand and muffle out a spell.

While Fred expected not being able to talk, he was with the exact opposite, "Silencio doesn't appear to be working, George."

George muffled something out, somewhat like "What're you going to do?"

Fred only sighed and shrugged, ruffling up his hair in annoyance.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong, Georgie?" Aatikah asked with a grin, "Cat got your tongue?"<p>

He only glared further at her as Fred kept his hand over his mouth.

"Aww, poor babies," she cooed before giggling, "Seems like _somebody_ shouldn't have done something yesterday."

George only glared harder at her as Fred rolled his eyes and removed his hand from his mouth.

"The truth is, George likes you but doesn't want to tell you because he thinks you'll take the mickey out of him."

George leapt at his twin, tackling him to the ground as he punched him in the ribs.

Aatikah laughed, grinning, "Oh, I know. That's what most of our fights have been about."

George sat up, peeling the tape off to blink at her, "Really?"

"Yes," she laughed, still smiling, "You want the charm off now?"

"Please!" he sat up, grinning wider. He paused after she waved her wand, "My hair is brown." He grinned as Fred looked hopefully at her.

"Nah-ah, Freddie, only the person who cast the charm can take it off," she smiled as he glared at her.

"I really don't want to fire you," he growled, gritting his teeth, "Now who put the bloody charm on me?"

"I'll give you three guesses," George said as he stood and dusted off his jacket. They turned when the door announced somebody coming in, making Aatikah grin at Hermione as she walked through.

"Hermione – what a pleasant surprise!" she giggled as Fred glared murderously at the two.

"I just thought I'd pop by on my lunch break and see how everything's going with my _favorite_ pranksters," she smirked at Fred.

"Well, Aatikah and I are going to go out on a date, so it's just you and your favorite prankster. No plural – sorry, Granger," George shrugged, grinning as Fred whirled his glare on his twin.

"Bye!" Aatikah grinned before she and George ran out of the door.

"So – what's going on, Fred?" she walked closer to him, still smirking as her heels clicked against the wood floors. He wondered if she'd even gone into work, as he'd never seen her wear skinny jeans to her law office.

"You know bloody well what's going on," he growled.

She arched an eyebrow, "Do I?"

He grabbed her wrist and practically threw her into the backroom, grabbing a nearby Luna Lovegood and asking her to please watch the shop for a few minutes. She obliged and towed herself up onto the check-out counter, crossing her legs and looking up at the ceiling.

"Why, Fred, what's going on?" Hermione was grinning as she leaned against his work table, him standing in front of her with his arms across his chest.

"You know what's going on – now get the charm off of me," he demanded.

"Why do you want to get me fired?" she asked, the smile gone as she frowned at him.

"Hermione, get the charm off of me."

"Why do you want to get me fired, Fred?"

"Hermione, get the _damn charm off of me_."

"Fred, answer me!"

"Get the charm off of me before I say something we'll both regre – " he winced and cut himself off, closing his eyes and running his hands through his hair, taking in deep breaths as he'd just realized he'd been yelling. "Hermione, please take the charm off of me."

"Tell me the truth and I will," she countered.

"I want you to quit your job so you can come and work for me and George."

She blinked at him, looking curiously at him, "Why?"

"Charm."

"Why?"

"Hermione, I told the truth, now get the charm off of me," he was very aware that he was gritting his teeth.

"Just why, Fred?"

"Because I like you – not like I like Luna, or Aatikah, or Ginny, but I like you like the other like – the one that is effectively ruining our friendship as I speak," he was frowning at her as she blinked, "Now please take the charm off of me."

She bit her lip, "I did."

He could've lied. He could've lied to her about why. He felt incredibly stupid at that moment.

Hermione looked around the workroom as he ruffled up his hair and frowned at the back of his eyelids.

"I hate my job, you know," she said, making him blink at her, "It's dreadfully boring."

He quirked an eyebrow at her, making her smirk and cross her arms over her chest.

"And, alright, I like you too – not like I like Ron or Harry or even George, but the other like," she huffed, blushing just a bit, "So, ahh, when can I start?"

"Whenever you want," he smiled.

"Do you want to help me clean out my office?" she made a step towards the door.

"Sure – never been in there when it wasn't orange," he grinned back at her, following her out before stopping when he saw Luna on the counter, "Maybe when George and Aatikah come back, though."

"Yeah," Hermione grinned before patting Luna's hand and leaning against the counter.

"Congratulations are in order," she said in her dreamy voice, "I do hope you have a little girl."

Hermione started, but sighed and rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to explain to Luna that they weren't ready for that yet, when Fred grinned and ruffled up her hair.

"So do we, Luna," he laughed at Hermione's blushing face, "She just won't admit it."

"Hermione, we all know it's going that way," Luna smiled before hopping off and walking over towards Neville, patting him in the shoulder and startling him.

Fred grinned at her and watched her expression.

She pursed her lips, "I can neither confirm nor deny that statement."

He laughed and reached over to peck her temple, "Once a lawyer, always a lawyer, hm?"

"I figured if I'm going to date a Weasley, I'd need to remember some of it."

He thought to argue, but paused and thought it over before shrugging and grinning, "True."

* * *

><p><strong>….That could've ended better, I think, but oh well. <strong>

**…I argued with Dora this morning. "Do you like rainbows?" "No, I hate them." "I love rainbows!" "I hate you too." "Do you see a rainbow?" "No, I'm colorblind!" :I I hate Dora.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	31. Blood is Grosser Than Water

**So, whenever we hit the 200 mark for reviews, a few people who were _so close_ sent in their information, and since I'm such a softy **[pushover]** I told them I'd write something for their birthdays (even if their birthdays were months away.) **

**Our first is 93 Diagon Alley, who's birthday is May 31! Happy birthday! Now, before I started this I had been reading through some other fanfictions and noticed that some of the Dramione ones included Draco being Veela. So…I'm going to have a bit of fun with that. :D (Sorry, Fred!)**

**Also – Song of the Day: "Bright Lights and Cityscapes" by Sara Bareilles. (_Huge_ Sara Bareilles fan, I am!)**

* * *

><p>Fred winced again, rubbing at his ribcage, an action that his brother's fiancé noticed and took to frowning at him for.<p>

She had insane frizzy brown hair that went past her shoulders. But she was fun, Fred admitted that. George had actually met her while she was running around in a hot dog suit. When she'd bumped into him and he asked why she was wearing it, she'd shrugged and smiled and said, "The mood struck me." But she was also worried about the Weasley family, already considering them her family as well before George even asked her to marry him.

"Go to Mungo's," Amelie demanded with a glare.

"Amy, I'm fine," Fred huffed, frowning more at the pain in his ribs than at her.

She only shrugged and looked dully away, "Fine." She then took a big gulp of air, belting out "GEORGE, FRED NEEDS TO GO TO MUNGO'S BUT HE _WON'T!_" She then turned back to Fred and smirked as he glared.

"I hate you," he said as his twin walked up to him with a frown.

"Lies," she grinned before turning back to George, "His chest hurts. Go get somebody to fix him."

George grabbed Fred's elbow and tugged him out of the door, waving to Amy and telling Verity and Lee to help her with the shop.

* * *

><p>"I don't <em>need<em> to be here," Fred insisted, sitting on the edge of the exam bed and huffing, wincing at the pain that shot through his chest once he was sure George wouldn't see.

"Then why'd that hurt?" he asked, his attention still turned to the painting on the wall.

Fred only glared at his back, "It _didn't_."

George gave a noncommittal "uh-huh" before turning back to Fred, "Does this painting look familiar to you?"

Fred glanced at it dully, "I dunno, kind of. Why?"

"I don't remember where I saw it," he turned back to it with a frown.

"My house – I've got another like it," a voice said by the door. The two turned and smiled at the smaller girl with unimaginably curly hair that hung just above her shoulders, who was tossing off her Healer's cap into the chair, taking off the jacket that went with it and flinging it aside as well, "I hate that uniform."

"Hermione!" George said brightly, ruffling up her hair, "Long time, no see! Or is it Healer Granger now?"

"Either one," she shrugged, tugging up her shirt sleeves, "How's Amy?"

"Amy," he shrugged back with a gleeful grin.

She smiled and nodded, turning to Fred now, "So, what's the problem?"

"Nothing," Fred said before George could, making his twin roll his eyes and sigh.

"Chest pains, I think, but he won't really tell me," he told her as she hummed.

"Well, we can take some blood to be sure – "

"I'm sorry, but did you say '_take blood_'?" Fred asked sharply, "Oh no, you're not taking it, and I'm not giving it!"

"Fred," she began, but was cut off once more.

"I am _fine_, I'm not giving _blood_, and I'm out of here!" he stated, standing up but stopping when he faced the door, "I'm ninety percent certain you just locked the door."

"You're ninety percent correct," Hermione told him, smiling as she tapped her wand to her chin. "Fred, it'll be completely painless. You won't feel anything, and it's best to be safe than sorry."

He frowned at her before picking up her hat and sitting in the chair, glaring at the two as he sat it on the top of his head, "Fine. But I'm wearing the hat."

She grinned back at him, "You can wear the hat."

Once she'd gotten the blood, she'd put her jacket back on and walked out to get it analyzed. Fred looked especially squeamish, twirling her hat in his hands to get over it.

"It's such a lame hat," George noted with a grin.

Fred smiled, "It is. Think we should make it purple?"

"I was thinking orange."

"Both?"

"Yes," he tapped his wand to it, both of them grinning when the two colors zig-zagged against each other.

Fred quickly hid the hat behind his back as Hermione rushed back in, looking pale and holding a number of files.

"George, go get your parents," she said.

"Why, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Go get your parents, George, _now_," she demanded, making him nod and rush out of the door.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked, making her blink twice at her hat before shrugging it away.

"Hopefully, nothing," she let out a quick breath of air, "I want to be wrong."

He winced when George, Molly and Arthur walked back into the room, all of them looking worriedly at Hermione as Arthur shut the door.

"Hermione, what's wrong with Fred?" Molly asked, sitting down next to her son.

"Molly, Arthur, I need details on your relative's files," she held up Fred's, biting her lower lip, "Fred and George's sixteenth relatives, to be precise."

The four blinked, Molly turned to Arthur as they both thought.

"Well, on my side…" Arthur began, rubbing his chin, "Uncle Fargnis on father's side had Spattergroit – or, well, they thought, it was really just freckles, and Aunt Eloise was rather short. On mother's side, Uncle Bartis was a Squib…."

"Father's side – ahh, Uncle Hofner was blind in one eye, and Aunt Marge had a little beard. On mother's side, Uncle Novic had little toes that curled in, and Aunty Mignon was Veela – "

Hermione groaned and flopped into a chair on the other side of the room, burying her face in her hands, "Oh no…."

"What? What is it?" Fred asked urgently.

She took a deep breath and released it slowly, looking up at them, "Well, the Weasley kids are all one-sixteenth Veela, and – "

"So?" George asked, quieting when Hermione shot him a glare.

"Around the sixteenth, the blood starts dominating again," she stood and began to pace, biting her lip, "They've got until their twenty-fifth birthdays to find – so eloquently put – a 'mate.' Of course, they usually find them sooner – Harry and Ginny, Ron and Luna, George and Amy, Percy and Audrey, Charlie and Katie, Bill and Fleur for example."

"So I've got to find a bird?" Fred was slowly grinning, "No problem!"

"No – you're not listening," she frowned at him, "Fred, this person is meant for you in every way, shape and form – literally, they are what you need."

"What'll happen if he doesn't?" Arthur asked.

Hermione let a small whimper escape through her business façade, "His lungs will turn black and shut down."

Fred sat up straighter and gripped the arm rests of the chair as Molly gripped onto his arm. George plummeted into the seat Hermione had vacated. Arthur turned very white.

"There are potions, of course, to slow it," she cut through the shocked silence, "But nothing to stop it yet."

Fred shook his head slowly, getting his brain to think again, "How will I know?"

"Umm," she bit her lip again, blushing a bit, "Well, ahh…there's a few options. First sight is one. After the first kiss. And…."

"And?" Molly urged as Hermione hid her blush.

She took a few deep breaths, giggling just a little before getting back her serious expression, "Fornicating."

Molly smacked Fred in the arm with a glare, "Stick to options one and two."

"What? What does that mean?" he turned to Hermione as she blushed an even deeper red.

"You – ahh, you don't know?" she stammered as Arthur began to chuckle.

Fred and George only shook their heads at her.

She blanched before shaking the topic away, "Also, you'll feel incredibly sick if you do any of the options with somebody who isn't your 'mate.' Like you've got a really strong bout of the flu."

Fred nodded slowly, "What's the potion?"

"It's got to be made at Mungo's," she rolled her eyes at this, frowning, "You'll have to come in weekly for it to be administered by your Healer."

"Who's my Healer?" he blinked.

She smirked at him, "The witch who's hat you turned orange and purple."

He quickly hid the hat once more as she laughed.

"It's fine – I hate it too much to care," she smiled as Molly frowned at him.

"Thank you, Hermione," Arthur smiled at her, "For all you've done and are doing for us."

She smiled back, "It's nothing – I'd do it anyway."

* * *

><p>"You're what?" Amy asked blankly as Fred chewed slowly across the island from her.<p>

"One-sixteenth Veela," he swallowed, looking amusedly at George, who was hunting through the cabinets for something, "No wonder birds liked us so much at Hogwarts."

George snorted and shot him a grin as Amy only looked at the two like they were insane.

"And you've got to have mates?"

"And you're mine!" George dropped a kiss into her hair, making her frown up at him.

"I better be," she shook her head as he chuckled at her, "So how do you know? If they're your mate?"

"First sight, first kiss, or 'fornicating,'" at her giggle and grin, he arched an eyebrow at her, "What's it mean, anyway?"

"Sex before marriage," she grinned as they took to grinning.

"No wonder Granger was so red," Fred chuckled.

"Hermione?" she blinked now.

"Oh yeah – she's my Healer," he waved it away dismissively, twirling the spaghetti around on a fork, "I've got to see her weekly to get some potion that will slow my lungs from turning black and shutting down. They're originally supposed to stop on my twenty-fifth birthday."

"And now when will they stop?" she bit her lip nervously.

Fred shared a wince with George, "Your wedding date."

"Son of a _bitch!_" she swore before slapping her hands over her mouth, "That's only a few months, Fred!"

"I know."

"If you _know_ then _why_ are you sitting here?"

"I'm hungry!"

"You won't be hungry when you're _dead!_"

Fred only looked at her pointedly as he ate his spaghetti, both of them ignoring the fact that George was hitting his head against a cabinet door.

"So what are you going to do?" she sighed after pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Eat my spaghetti, for one," he said haughtily, "After that, no clue."

"Get a clue, Fred," she crossed her arms over her chest before sighing and looking at him sadly, "Please. That day is supposed to be happy, and it won't be if you're not there."

He absorbed that before nodding slowly.

* * *

><p>"Hey, quick question that I don't want getting back to anybody," Fred said as Hermione watched the potion with him, "My 'mate' <em>is<em> female, right?"

Hermione blinked and grinned at him, "Yes, she is. Veelas want to pass off their genes to offspring. You aren't gay, Fred."

"I mean, no offense to anybody who _is_ gay, I'm just…not," he suddenly found his shoelaces fascinating.

She chuckled and patted his knee, "I understand." She got up and frowned at the cauldron, stirring it a bit with her wand before smiling and deeming it ready.

"It smells…" he blinked at the little vial.

"Whatever it smells like is whatever your 'mate' smells like," she shrugged, "I can't help it if it smells bad."

"Familiar, though," he sniffed it once more, frowning, "Really familiar."

"Hmm," she blinked before shrugging, "I suppose that's not uncommon. You come into contact with a lot of people daily."

He downed it and nodded, smiling a little, "Yeah. Tastes good too."

"Like what?" she asked, already bottling up the rest of it and setting it aside.

"Ahh…mint and chocolate."

"Mmn," she smiled at him, "I love that. I put mint into my chocolate milkshakes. Ron can't stand it though – says it's like dumping toothpaste into it."

"It's not _toothpaste_," Fred snorted, jumping down from the table, "Anyway, what do I do now? I took the rest of the day off for this."

"Whatever you want," she shrugged, "You can come see the kids with me."

"Huh?" he questioned, following her out.

"The kids who can't leave Mungo's," she told him a little sadly, "Dragon pox and such."

"Oh," he winced.

"It'll be good to see you, I think. Merlin knows Tommy and Jacob will adore you – they're practically following in you and George's footsteps."

He chuckled as she led him down the hallways, coming to the end of one and pushing open a set of double doors.

"HERMIONE!" the room seemed to cheer, a few of the kids dropping down from beds and running towards her.

She grinned and hugged the ones that had come to see her, scooping up a little boy with blue hair and hooking him onto her hip.

"Everybody, this is one of my friends, Fred Weasley," she introduced with a smile, glancing back at Jacob and Tommy to see that their little mouths were hanging open.

"Hi!" a little girl around his ankles grinned, "My name's Casey!"

"'Lo, Casey," he grinned back, "I like your hat."

She did, indeed, have a fox hat on, beaming once he mentioned it, "Thank you! Hermione got it for me!"

"I'm Marvin," a little boy, a few years older than Casey, greeted, "I like your hair! Are you a metamorphmagus?"

"Ahh – no," he smiled as the blue haired boy, still on Hermione's hip, patted his arm.

"S'not all it's caked up tah be," he told him, making Hermione chuckle and grin at him and snuggle her nose into his hair.

"Fred, this is Favian," she said, leading him over to an empty bed and setting the little boy there, tucking him in. "Nap time, Honey."

"Naaww," he whined as several others did as well. She laughed and tucked them in, Fred helping as well. Once she'd turned the lights out and promised them she'd come back to wake them up, she ushered Fred out of the door and winced at him.

"What's wrong with them?" he questioned as she took a shaky breath.

"Casey has cancer – she'll be back home soon, though, as soon as she gets the transplant. Marvin's got heart problems that he was born with. Favian," she sighed, looking sadly at him, "Favian's metamorphmagus DNA is rejecting his regular DNA. This is the first time this has ever happened, and we don't know what to do."

"What about their parents?" he asked as she began walking with him down the hall.

"Casey's parents are worried, but they're both Muggleborn, so they're glad she's in Mungo's rather than somewhere else. Marvin's parents are, naturally, worried, but they were right when they said he was a fighter."

"Favian?"

She winced again, slowing their walk, "His mum died in labor. We don't know who the father is." She stopped, looking up at him fearfully, "I _raised_ him, Fred. I've seen him since he was this pink, squirmy thing and he's grown so much. He might have that taken away from him. He might never get to go to Hogwarts. Even if he does live that long, he'll never get to leave Mungo's."

"Hey," he held his arms out, holding her closer and rubbing her arms, "He'll be alright. I'm sure of it."

She nodded and hugged him back before straightening and leading him into another room, pausing in the doorway at the teenager in the bed who was headbanging, the Healer doing the same as well as an air guitar solo.

Hermione rolled her eyes and reached over to click the radio off, the two lifted their heads up to yelp out "Hey!"

"Honestly, I bring by somebody for a first impression and we get _this_," she grinned up at Fred, "This is Healer Richard Stern, and everybody's _favorite_ rocker, Tyler Morse."

Tyler frowned at her, "That was a good song."

"What was it?" Fred asked.

"Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen!" he said excitedly before pouting at Hermione once more, "And you turned it off."

"You, Richard and I can sing it from memory," she grinned.

"_Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?_" Richard began, holding up an imaginary microphone.

"_Caught in a landslide – no escape from reality!_" Tyler continued, both of them looking pleadingly at Hermione as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. She ushered Fred out of the room, hand on the doorknob before she turned around and grinned.

"_Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see!"_ she said before shutting the door quickly, muffling the rest of their song. Fred grinned down at her as she shrugged.

* * *

><p>"I <em>love<em> Bohemian Rhapsody!" Amy grinned at Fred as George handed her a pickle and grinning when she chunked it at him, "I _hate_ pickles! Why do you do this to me, George?"

"It's funny," he chuckled turning to his twin, "So, any luck with the hunt?"

Fred sighed and lowered his chin on the counter, "No. I just spent all day with Granger, and the most I've got is 'Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will you do the fandango?'"

"_Galileo! Galileo! Galileo, Figaro – magnifico!_" Amy continued with a grin before wincing sheepishly, "Sorry."

He grinned back at her, "It's alright. So – what do I do now?"

"I have no idea," George winced, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You said the potion smelled familiar, right?" Amy asked, grinning at his nod, "Well, find who it smells like."

"So I just sniff people?" he asked incredulously.

"No," she sighed, rolling her eyes, "That's rude and creepy. Just…pay attention around other girls, I guess."

"But don't inhale excessively," George grinned, laughing a little, "I think Ron would do that."

* * *

><p>"Hermione!" Amy cheered, rushing towards the girl, "I haven't seen you in forever! How are you?"<p>

"Tired, starving, but otherwise in one piece," she smiled back, "How're you?"

"Hyper!" she grinned, leading her back into the kitchen, "But, good for you, you're just in time for dinner!"

"Hermione, dear!" Molly smiled from the stove, "Nice to see you!"

"'Lo, Molly," she smiled, "Mind if I stay for dinner? The only edible thing at my house is a sketchy looking banana."

"I'd be insulted if you didn't," she grinned, "The boys are playing with the kids in the living room if you want to find them."

She smiled and nodded, walking with Amy to the room to find Fred on his back in the floor and tossing the squealing blonde girl into the air. He caught her easily as she giggled at her uncle.

"Higher!" she asked.

"Nah, Kiddo – you're going high enough," he grinned as he threw her again, laughing when he heard her squeak again when George swooped in and caught her midway.

Teddy poked his head out of Harry's arms and blinked before beaming, "Auntie Minnie!"

"McGonagall?" Ron asked, turning around as the purple haired boy wrestled out of his godfather's grasp and bounded towards her.

Hermione frowned at Ron but grinned at Teddy, "Do I really look like Professor McGonagall, Teddy?"

"No!" he gasped, "You look like Minnie!"

"Ron, he can't say 'Hermione,'" Harry grinned as he got up off the floor, walking towards the two and hugging her.

"Right. I knew that," he defended, getting up as well, a little red haired boy holding onto his leg, "You, little Minnie, haven't been by too often."

She swatted him playfully, "I'm over every week."

"Aunny," the little red haired boy demanded her attention, "Aunny, Aunny."

She smiled and set Teddy down, picking the smaller boy off of his father's leg, "Hullo there, Hugo! How're you, Honey?"

"Goo'," he grinned, wrapping his arms around her neck and planting a kiss on her cheek, making her grin and hug him a little tighter.

"Hermione!" Ginny said happily, holding James' hand as Albus clung to her hip, "I've missed you!"

"Aunty Minnie!" James exclaimed happily as the little blonde girl hid behind Luna's legs.

"James!" Hermione put Hugo back on Ron's leg, "And Albus too! And is this little Danica? Oh, Sweetheart, don't you remember me?"

Danica only hid further behind her mother and shook her head bashfully.

Fred grinned and reached over to tug her into him, crossing his legs around her as she grinned up at him, "Of course you do, Dani! It's Hermione! Don't you remember her? She got you that butterfly necklace."

Dani gasped and looked down at her neck, where the silver charm hung off of the chain, before looking up at her, "Aunny Ne-ne?"

"So many cute little nicknames, Hermione," Amy pouted playfully, "All I've got is 'Amy.'"

"Amy's kind of cute," she winced at her disbelieving frown. "In…some…way, shape or form. George, back me up here, please."

"It's absolutely adorable," he grinned, chuckling as she sighed at him, rolling her eyes.

"Why am I marrying you?" she questioned as he pecked her cheek, making several of the kids – and Fred – gag. Only Teddy seemed unaffected.

A loud pop startled everybody, scaring Albus and Danica as well as Hugo, threatening to cry until the nearest person comforted them.

Fred immediately recognized Richard from the hospital, although he was frowning and his hair was in complete disarray.

"Richard," Hermione sighed, her face falling as she realized that she was _not_ going to be allowed a nice dinner with her adoptive family, "What now?"

He threw his hands into his hair, scratching around with a growl before sighing and pouting at her, "You're being called in for Favian. He's really pale and a little delirious. Gretchen's being an _itch_ about it, by the way," His expression softened, "He keeps asking for his mummy, Hun."

"Oh no," she murmured, pressing a hand to her cheek as she let her fear show.

"He means you, Darling," Richard grinned a little as she blinked, "You didn't know that? He calls you that all the time."

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as Amy rubbed a comforting circle into her back, "Go, Hermione, we'll bring by some food later."

She nodded and popped back to the hospital with Richard.

"Who was _that guy_?" Ron questioned, looking around at the group, only to be met with shrugs and 'I don't know's from his family until Fred spoke up.

"He's a Healer too," he answered.

"Not _just_ a Healer, I think," Ginny smirked, "Anybody else catch the 'Darling,' or was that just me?"

"How about that 'Hun'?" George laughed, "Granger's not just doing _overtime_ if you catch my drift."

Amy elbowed him in the side with a frown for that while Harry and Ron told them to knock it off. Fred's face contorted, Danica being the only one to notice.

"You smell somfin yucky, Unca Fed?" she questioned.

"Huh?" he asked smartly.

"You got the Yucky Face," she told him, "Wass wrong?"

"Nothing, Honey," he reassured, but realized that he didn't like the idea of Richard and Hermione together at all.

Hermione popped in half an hour later, her hair frazzled but smiling tiredly as she told everybody that Favian was alright now. Fred pulled out the seat next to him, where Danica had been sitting until she'd nearly fallen asleep in her mashed potatoes, where she was now snoozing against her uncle's chest. Hermione sighed and sat down next to him, shooting him a grateful smile as Molly handed her a plate and took Danica's away so she would have some room.

"Favian's the little baby whose mum died in labor a while ago, right?" Harry questioned as Hermione began to eat.

"Yeah," she said once she swallowed.

"Poor baby," Ginny said, running her fingers through Albus's hair as he slept in his father's arms, James in the chair next to them and attempting not to do the same.

"He's a metamorphmagus too, right?" Teddy questioned, "Can I meet him someday?"

Hermione smiled, answering once she finished chewing, "I think that'd be a great idea, Tedster."

"I can teach him my vampire teeth one!" he said brightly.

"Teach him your cat's eye too – that'll really freak out the other Healers," she winked as he brightened even more.

Fred chuckled until Danica sat up and frowned at him sleepily, "Peese don do dat again." She curled up tighter against him, "I sleepy, Unca Fed."

He grinned and ran his hand through her hair, "Sorry, Dani."

"S'okey," she murmured, rubbing her hand against her eye.

"I think we need to get these guys home," Ginny whispered as James finally slumped against his father's arm, his mouth wide open as Harry laughed silently.

"Same here," Luna whispered back, running a hand through Hugo's hair.

Ron stepped towards Fred, reaching down and picking Danica out of his arms as she whined a little at being disrupted, but allowed herself to be led away from her previous heat source. Amy and George stood, only to sit around Hermione and Fred, Percy and Audrey saying goodbye as they went home as well. Victoire was pulled out of her seat and into her father's arms, Fleur patting Hermione's hair as they left. Soon, it was just Amy, George, Fred, Hermione, Arthur and Molly left in the dining room.

"Hermione, I'm amazed you do what you do some days," Arthur told her, shaking his head as he stood and picked up a few plates.

She sighed, "I am too."

* * *

><p>Fred shot up in bed, grimacing and tightening his grip on his chest. He flung the sheets off and paced before stepping into the bathroom, flicking on the light and grimacing when he noticed how pale he was. He stepped into the living room, making Amy and George groggily sit up from the couch and blink at him.<p>

"Grandpa?" Amy asked blankly, "Issat you?"

"Freddie?" George rubbed an eye as Fred winced and wrapped his arms around his bare torso, curling in a little, "What's wrong?"

Fred coughed as his answer, bringing a hand up instinctively and pulling back to find bright red splattering his palm. Amy caught the sight and gasped.

"George, go get Hermione," she ushered him towards the fire, stepping towards Fred as he kneeled to the ground to cough some more, his whole body shaking with each one. Soon enough, Hermione was by his side in an instant, dressed for bed unlike his twin and his fiancé.

"Fred, what's wrong?" Hermione asked urgently, a hand on his shoulder.

He only kept his hand clamped over his mouth as he coughed, harder and harder, sure that he'd eventually cough up either one or both of his lungs.

"George, can you go get me a wet washcloth, please?" she asked, making him nod and step into the bathroom to do so. "Fred, what happened that's making you hurt?"

He only shook his head as George handed the cloth to her, making her wring it out a little onto her bare knees before dabbing it at his forehead.

"Fred, you're burning up," she said, the back of her hand pressed to his cheek, "Fred, you've got try to tell me what happened. This isn't supposed to be happening."

He took several deep breaths through his nose, slowing the coughs and pausing when no more tried to push their way through his chest. Hermione offered the cloth to him and he took it, wiping the blood off of his mouth with a frown before getting the blood off of his hand. They both stood slowly, Hermione flowing him into the bathroom as he hunted around for his toothbrush.

"Fred, this is very serious," she said, letting the worry seep into her voice, "This isn't supposed to be happening until that day. The only thing I can think of to trigger this is related to your mate. Have you found her?"

"Yeah," he grumbled, letting his thoughts wander as he brushed out his mouth, nearly smacking himself in the head when he realized that she wasn't there for his little pity party earlier in the night. He'd come to the conclusion that Hermione was very much involved with Richard, coming to the conclusion moments later that Hermione was very much his mate. She smelled like the potion and liked the taste of chocolate and mint. She adored kids just as much as he did and cared about them just as deeply. She was brave and smart and everything that he wanted and needed.

"What's wrong?" she leaned against the doorframe, looking at him curiously as she folded her arms across her chest.

He wondered vaguely if she knew before deciding that she didn't. If she did, she wouldn't have made him notice she was wearing a tank top.

He spit out the toothpaste and frowned at all of the blood in the sink before rinsing it out, "Well, what's wrong if the fact that I'm going to ruin everything in just a few moments, but who cares, right? What's wrong is that fact that I figured out you were my 'mate' quite some time ago, only to figure out that you were involved with Richard. I'm guessing that's the reason I started coughing up blood, otherwise I'm just a band of problems."

He looked over when she began to giggle, a grin spreading across her face as she stepped closer to him.

"Oh, Fred," she said, hands on her neck as she smiled at him, "Richard's _gay_." As he blinked, she smiled wider, "He calls everybody 'Hun' and 'Darling' and 'Sweetie.'"

Fred's irritating little chest pain was gone, he noticed, as she took another few steps to him.

"He's gay…" he repeated slowly as she nodded, still grinning, "And I'm an idiot."

"Not an idiot," she said, brushing his hair out of his face, "Just a little ignorant is all."

"Aha," he said, catching her wrist and using it to bringing her a little bit closer, "So…what now?"

She smiled, "Well, option one didn't work, so…."

"I, for one, am all for option three," he grinned as she blushed, "But I'm just as up for option two as well."

He smiled as he brought her hand up to his lips, kissing the inside of her wrist. He was hardly surprised that this didn't feel weird, and she didn't look as surprised either. He then reached forward with his bare foot and shut the bathroom door.

"Stop spying, George, Amy!" he said through the door as Hermione looked around and winced.

"Can we…not do this in a bathroom?" she questioned, making him smile and open the door that led to his bedroom, tugging her in.

"Is he gonna die on our wedding? Like crumple up right there on the altar like somebody dropped an invisible elephant on his head or what?" Amy called through the door as he leaned down in an attempt to kiss Hermione.

Fred sighed as Hermione laughed and hid her face against his chest, "Amy, go away."

"Option two or three?" George called instead, making Fred sigh once more and hit his head against the wall behind him as Hermione laughed again.

"George, take your little girly and go a – mmph," his eyebrows shot up at the spark that seemed to shoot through him until he pulled Hermione in closer, closing his eyes as he let her run her hands through his hair, leaning into the kiss.

"Well?" she asked breathlessly when they finally pulled away.

He only pulled her back in, grinning as he ran his nose through her curls, "Oh, you're definitely mine now, no doubt about that." She laughed at that.

* * *

><p>Apollo and Artemis were pushing frantically through the crowd of people, the brother and sister team rushing frantically towards the brown haired girl who was smiling up at the blonde.<p>

Apollo picked up his cousin, making her scream before she sighed at him.

"Can't I _talk_ to my boyfriend?" Piper asked incredulously as Artemis stepped forward and regarded Scorpius Malfoy coldly.

"No," she said, whirling around on him to frown at her cousin, "Honestly, Pipes, he's Slytherin!"

"Honestly, Piper, your cousins are insane," Scoprius huffed as she wrestled free from Apollo's grip.

"I'm sorry," she winced, shooting glares at the two, "Did Dad put you up to this?"

"Actually – " Artemis began.

"Your mum," Apollo shrugged, "Said something about – "

"No way in bloody sodding hell it was going to be option two _or_ three when you're only fifteen," Artemis said.

Piper blinked at her, "What?"

"I dunno," she shrugged, "We just took it as an excuse to tackle you."

"Can I do that again, by the way?" Apollo asked gleefully as Piper sighed and shook her head, already braiding her hair back.

"My parents are _weird_," she snorted as Scorpius chuckled at her.

"I think all parents are," he smiled.

The small group was completely unaware of their parents glancing back at them every so often.

"So you're saying that Piper is half-one-sixteenth Veela?" Draco arched an eyebrow at Granger-turned-Weasley.

"The blood is still pretty dominant by then," Hermione shrugged, "But she still doesn't know."

Fred grinned as Draco snorted, but Astoria nodded her head understandingly. George appeared by his side, grinning brightly to make him look at him in confusion before grinning brightly as well.

Hermione let out a laugh before stoppering it.

"The mood struck me," Amy said as she waddled up to her husband, smiling happily as the Malfoys say her for the first time in her hot-dog-suited glory. "It's been happening a lot more with this pregnancy – must be because Hermione isn't enjoying it with me."

Draco looked absolutely horrified at the idea that his son was going to be related to a pregnant hot dog, while the idea made Astoria giggle uncontrollably.

"Amy, I love you and your weirdness," Hermione giggled before somebody tapped her on the shoulder. She turned and smiled up at the young man with dark brown hair to match with hers.

"Well, seventh year," he smiled as she brushed some of his hair away, "Think I'll make it?"

"Try not to follow in your dad's footsteps and I think you'll be alright," she said before reaching up to peck his nose, "Good luck, Honey."

"Thanks, Mum," Favian smiled as Teddy walked over to Harry with his arm draped over Victoire's shoulders sheepishly. He glanced up and smiled even wider, "Ooh, Piper's talking to Malfoy – gotta go ruin it, bye!" He waved as he jogged to his adoptive sister, making her eyes widen in horror as Apollo and Artemis beamed.

Draco only held his head in his hands and shook his head, "I'm disowning him as soon as he says 'I do,' Astoria."

She whacked him in the stomach, "You will not and you know it."

Hermione grinned up at Fred when he sighed and said dejectedly, "I know."

* * *

><p><strong>LONG CHAPTER IS LONG. BLAAARRGH, WHAT IS THIS?<strong>

**Alright – originally, Richard was gay. But then I wondered how many people would get offended by that for no reason. So, to me, he's gay. I might change it back though. We'll see. [_EDIT: Richard's gay again! :) A few people were amazed at how anybody could get offended by it, so I'm taking a shot.]_**

**Hehehe, okay. Well…one down, three to go. **

**Once again – Happy birthday, 93 Diagon Alley!**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	32. Distracting

**Hi again! I wonder if you guys ever read the beginning notes all that often. I'm guessing you do.**

**This one is for SunFrog31. I honestly forgot whose birthday was next, so it was a blind pick. _Sorry._**

**Song of the Day: "The Light" by Sara Bareilles (I sense a pattern here.)**

* * *

><p>"Mumma!" she sniffed, rubbing her hands over her eyes, hugging her teddy bear closer to her chest, "Mumma!"<p>

"Shush, Honey, shush," she cooed, sitting on the edge of the bed and picking through the blankets to find her daughter, smiling a little at her. She picked her up and set her in her lap, picking her legs up and smoothing through her crazy hair. "Thunder again, Love?"

Hermione sniffed and nodded again, whimpering as another peal of thunder ripped through the sky.

"Relax, Honey, they can't hurt you," she pecked her forehead, "I won't let them."

Hermione smiled and curled up closer to her, "I love you, Mumma."

"I love you too, Honey."

Hermione sat up in her bed with a gasp, hair flying everywhere as lightning illuminated her room. She wasn't four anymore, and she was very much alone in her room in the Burrow. Or, so she thought. She practically had a heart attack when she looked over towards the door and saw Fred standing there staring at her curiously.

"Are you alright?" he asked, a little above a whisper.

"Fine – just peachy," she said, getting out of her bed and hunting around for her wand, biting her lip.

"You screamed," he said, "You're lucky there was thunder at that _exact moment_, or else Harry would be in here wand ablaze." He snorted, grinning before it slowly fell as he watched her, "Granger, are you okay?"

"Fine," she said, not looking at him. When he was silent for a few moments, she looked up and saw that he was looking at her unconvincingly, arms crossed over his chest with an eyebrow arched. She sighed, running her hands over her face and winced, "No, I am not okay. I am absolutely petrified of thunder."

He snorted in surprise, "What?"

"Okay, at Hogwarts I was fine, because I had Georgia and…well, just Georgia, because I don't like Lavender or Parvati too much. And my mum made me believe that as long as somebody was in the same room as me, they wouldn't let the thunder get me," she grinned sheepishly at him, "Old habits die hard, huh?"

He opened his mouth to answer her when Ron padded by her door slowly, pausing to turn to them and stare at them uncomprehendingly.

"D'you know where the cow is? Gotsa go get choc'lit milk," he said.

Fred stared at him before laughing as silently as he could, "Come on, Ron, let's go find that cow."

"It's my choc'lit milk, Freddie," he frowned as Fred led him back to his room.

"It's all yours, Buddy."

Hermione grinned as they left, shaking her head at them.

* * *

><p>"Was I supposed to put tin foil on the cake pans?" Georgia asked, frowning slightly, "I don't think I'm supposed to."<p>

Hermione grinned over at her friend. The girl's short brown hair was completely ruffled and she was still in her pajamas from last night, and was _this close_ to kicking the oven for not heating up quicker. She had completely forgotten that she'd asked Hermione to come over for help on her boyfriend's birthday cake – which was meant to be a surprise if not for the fact that he'd slept over on the couch last night, effectively ruining it.

"No," Hermione laughed, pausing in her mixing, "Non-stick spray."

"Hmm," she hummed, sighing and crumpling up the tinfoil, "Oh well, so much for that." She dug through cabinets to find the spray, muttering to herself as she did. "Shay, quit laughing at me."

"I'm not laughing," Seamus said, hiding his smile and sharing a pointed look with Hermione.

"I'm going to ignore the fact that you really are," she stood, holding the can in her hand before shoving it into Seamus's, "Here, make yourself useful."

"I have to help make my own birthday cake?" he questioned.

"Just this year," she grinned, pecking his cheek, "Thank you!"

"I didn't agree to it yet," he muttered, but grabbed the pan and sprayed it, only to get shot in the face with it.

The two girls ignored this exchange and turned to one another.

"How was the storm last night?" Georgia asked.

"Apparently I'm screaming again," Hermione sighed, "Fred came in and asked me what was wrong. He was the only one who heard it though. Oh, did you know Ron sleepwalks?"

"Yes," Seamus said irritably, fighting with the spray can.

"Something about chocolate milk – I'm still wondering about that," Hermione grinned at him, amused as he tossed the can on the ground, only to have it bounce back up and hit him.

Georgia still paid this no mind. "Hermione, you really need to find a remedy to your fear of thunder." She arched an eyebrow and smirked, "Perhaps a certain redhead prankster who deals with chocolate milk crazed sleepwalking younger brothers?"

She scoffed, jumping a little and causing some cake batter to get on her shirt, "Wha – what?"

"Yeah, what?" Seamus asked with a grin, "That sentence - "

"Fight with the can, Shay," she waved him away from poking fun at her, "Hermione, you're really running out of options. I mean, Dean and Luna are dating, Ron's dating Lavender, George and Katie are together – really, the only single guy out there is Fred, and I can guarantee you it won't be long until he's taken as well."

"Thank you for that, Georgia," she frowned, "I hate you when you first wake up."

"I love you too," she smiled.

Hermione sighed and turned back to the cake batter, "Shay, you mind if I - ?"

"Only if you let me," he popped up in front of her, grinning eagerly at the bowl as she handed him a spoon covered in the batter, making him gasp happily before shoving it in his mouth, going back to wrestling with the spray can.

"Hermione, I'm only thinking of you," Georgia told her softly, "I only what you to be happy." At her pointed grin, she smiled and shrugged, "And, alright, I want to be a maid of honor _once_."

Hermione laughed, "It's alright, Georgia, I understand."

The two smiled at each other before Seamus walked up to them, frowning as he plucked the spoon out of his mouth.

"We're out of non-stick spray," he said before shoving it back into his mouth and walking away.

* * *

><p>Hermione gasped, curling in on her bed as thunder ripped through the air once more, covering her ears and wincing, "I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid." Another rumble of thunder, angry and loud, making her release her ears and grip the sheets, "Maybe just a little."<p>

"I was about to say," Fred smiled, leaning against the doorway before stepping in and closing the door with is foot, "Want some company?"

"Sure," she smiled gratefully at him as he stepped forward into her room and sat at the edge of her bed, "Thanks."

"Purely selfish reason, actually," he said as he laid his head back on her pillow, "George snores. Loudly. I _had_ to get away from that."

She arched an eyebrow at him, "Haven't you slept in the same room with him for forever? Aren't you used to it by now?"

"I was, actually, up until we moved into the flat and then moved out and came back here," he snorted, "I haven't slept in a _month_."

She laughed, making him grin and sit up again, "What about you? You getting used to not hearing Ron sleepwalk?"

"I'm actually usually a pretty heavy sleeper," she shrugged, "I didn't know he sleepwalked until last night."

He blinked at her, "Really? He practically yells in his sleep. Here, listen."

They were quiet for a few moments, the only sounds distant rumbles of thunder, plops of rain on the roof, and their breathing.

"MINE!" Ron shouted suddenly, making Fred chuckle as Hermione grinned and rolled her eyes.

"Ron, shuddup," Harry's voice carried down the hall from their room, "It's just a dream."

"THEY WANT IT HARRY. I WON'T LET THEM HAVE IT."

"Ron, _shush!_ _You'll wake up the whole house!"_ Harry hissed.

"THEY WANT THE JAR OF DIRT, HARRY. THEY'RE BEATING ME FOR IT."

"That's me, trying to get you to shut up, you idiot!"

Hermione was shaking, her hands over her mouth as she laughed, Fred grinning at her.

"Oi! Will both of you shut up?" Percy said, "I can't sleep between you two yelling and George snoring!"

"Percy? When'd you get here?" Ron asked in a much quieter tone, "Harry, why are you gripping my shirt?"

Harry and Percy both groaned and it was quiet once more.

"How was everybody else able to sleep through that?" Hermione questioned quietly.

"Silencing charms," Fred smirked, "Percy must've forgotten his."

She laughed, smiling at him, "So – what's up?"

"Ahh – not a whole lot, aside from sitting up here with you," he flopped back on her pillow, only to misjudge the distance this time and hit his head on the headboard, popping back up and hissing as Hermione winced and covered his hand with hers as it shot up to his head.

"Are you okay?" she whispered, hiding her smile with her free hand.

"I'm fine," he chuckled, grinning back at her, "Merlin, that hurt."

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

He glared playfully at her, "Are not."

She smiled back before diving into his chest when another round of thunder started, closing her eyes tightly and gripping his shirt, muttering out "Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry" as she did.

His hand covered hers as he ran his other hand through her hair, "There's nothing to be sorry about, Angel, it's alright."

"No it's not," she whimpered, eyes still shut, "I'm twenty years old and I'm _still_ scared of thunder."

"So? George is twenty-two and still snores. Ron is twenty and still talks and walks in his sleep. Ginny's nineteen and still has to have some sort of stuffed animal with her when she sleeps –  
>although if she asks, you never heard it from me. Everybody has quirks that they've kept since they were kids, Hermione."<p>

"What about you?" she asked, opening her eyes as he laid them back against the pillow.

"Oh, well, it's not so much as when I was a kid, but since I was around fifteen or so."

"What is it?"

"Well, I've always liked girls with insanely bushy hair, brown eyes, and names that rhyme with _'Ermione Stranger_."

She blinked and snorted, looking up at him as he looked at her hopefully, "Really? And, ahh, how many girls fit that quirk?"

"Just one, and she's kinda gripping my shirt even though there's no thunder."

Hermione quickly released her hold of his shirt, but he grabbed her wrist quickly and settled her hand over his heart. He smiled down at her and she found herself smiling back.

"You could've just snogged me. I'm sure everybody would've been fine with that."

"I was half afraid you'd hit me for it though," he grinned, looking as if Christmas had come early, "Had to be sure."

"Well what's stopping you now that you know?" she asked.

"Thunder," he grinned, making her blink at him as she realized it had been in mid-roar, "You didn't notice?"

"No," she blinked, surprised before he leaned and kissed her, smiling against her lips when she wrapped her arms around his neck.

* * *

><p>"Mumma!" two little girls screamed simultaneously, the sisters gripping each other and their own stuffed animals for support. The oldest had curly brown hair, much more tamed than her sister's bright red mass of frizzy locks.<p>

When they asked for their mum, they got their dad instead, making him flick on the light only to find that the power had gone out. He got out his wand and muttered, "Lumos Maxima," the two girls quieting as he smiled at them softly and walked to the edge of Marissa's bed, sitting down in the floor to look up at them.

"Thunder?" he questioned.

"Lightning," Dana answered instead as Marissa hid her face and whimpered.

"Where's Mumma?" Marissa asked.

"She's with Uncle Harry, trying to get the house fixed up for us to move into," Fred answered before tilting his head and smiling, "Why do you want your Mum? Aren't I good enough?" He pouted playfully at them.

"Mumma's 'fraid of thunder," Marissa told him, "You're not 'fraid of nuthin'. She knows what it's like."

"Now that's not true," he said, "I'm afraid of a lot of things."

"Nuh-uh," Dana frowned at him, letting go of her sister and leaning on her hands to peer down at him, "You're Daddy."

Marissa popped up next to her, "You ain't 'fraid of nuthin'!"

He grinned, "I am too. I'm afraid I'll lose you two or your mum. I'm afraid that something will happen to you three."

"But you aren't afraid of spiders or lightning or thunder or – or –or," Dana paused, hands on her hips, searching for more things he wasn't afraid of before ending, "Stuffs."

"That's because you three are – I've got to protect my girls, no matter what _I'm_ scared of."

The two thought this over, Marissa sitting on her heels and hugging Mister Button Bear as she peered at her sister before she slipped down into her father's lap, smiling up at him, "You're berry brave, Daddy."

"Thank you, Mari," he grinned back, mussing up her hair to make her giggle.

Dana slipped down from her sister's bed and frowned at him, "But…"

"Dana?" Fred grinned.

"Yah?"

"It's lightning outside, and you didn't notice," he smiled as she looked over at the window and blinked slowly.

Her face then broke into a wide grin and she tackled her father, making him emit a small "oomf" before laughing, "You're magic, Daddy!"

"Magic!" Marissa crowed, hugging her father and pecking him on the cheek.

Fred grinned at his girls before glancing over at the door, smiling up at her, "'Lo."

Georgia grinned, a little boy hooked onto her hip, "Well, Hermione shouldn't have worried about the girls' first storm without her. It seems it's alright."

"Hi," Callum smiled at the girls before nestling against his mother's shoulder again, closing his eyes.

"Soooo…" Dana pulled away from her father, looking a little sheepish, "Can I spend the night with Mari?"

"I thought we'd been over that I am magic?" Fred questioned, eyebrow arched although he was smiling.

"You are, but, ahh – Mister Button Bear's afraid of the dark, and I need to protect him too."

"No he's not," Marissa frowned as Dana glared at her. "Well he's _not_!"

"Mari," Dana hissed before she blinked at the other figure in the doorway, "Mummy!"

"Mumma!" Marissa greeted before latching onto Fred's neck again, "Daddy's magic!"

Hermione smiled as she picked Dana up and pecked her forehead. Georgia sighed and bid them goodnight, as she was headed home to go plop Callum on Seamus's stomach in revenge for making _them_ go while he slept.

"Why's your father magic, Love?" Hermione asked, walking into the room and sitting next to Fred with Dana in her lap now.

"He made us forget about the lightning," she said simply.

Hermione grinned, pecking Fred on the lips, "Yes, he does distract from storms."

"I'm brilliant – admit it," he smiled.

"You're brilliant," she smiled before standing up and tucking Dana into her own bed, "How do you feel about each of you getting your own rooms tomorrow?"

"Yah," Dana yawned as Fred put Marissa back in her bed.

The youngest daughter looked a little worried though, "What if the lightnin' tries to come and get us again, and you aren't here?"

"Honey, no matter what, I'm always going to protect you, your sister, and your mum," Fred told her, "If you need me I'm right here." He then smiled a little mischievously, "And besides, Mister Button Bear is magic too."

She blinked up at him, her brown eyes wide, "He _is_?"

"Well, he's got to be, I gave him to you," he shrugged, standing up, "He's got my storm-distracting powers locked up in that button right _there_." He pointed to one on the bear's paw, grinning as Marissa believed every single word. "Feel better?"

Marissa clutched Mister Button Bear tighter, "Yah."

He pecked her forehead, "Night, Love."

"G'night, Daddy. I love you."

He grinned as he walked over to Dana's bed, where she was already half-way asleep, "I love you too." He pecked Dana's forehead as Hermione nuzzled Marissa's hair with her nose, making the younger girl giggle. "Love you, Dana."

"Love you too, Da," she said, opening her eyes blearily before they shut again. Fred grinned and waited for Hermione to say goodnight to Marissa before the two walked out of the girls' room.

Hermione stopped him on the way to their bedroom, reaching up to kiss him and wind her fingers through his hair, "You're really perfect, you know that Fred Weasley?"

"Why, yes, Hermione Weasley," he kissed her on the nose with a grin, "I did. How _else_ would I have been able to trick you into marrying me?"

She grinned and rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p>Marissa peeked her head through her bed hangings to see the other girls were asleep. She bit her lower lip, smoothing back her unruly red curls before she crawled off the foot of her bed and sat in front of her trunk. She quickly flung the lid up and reached in to grab something before bouncing back onto her bed with a small creak.<p>

Dana had Avery on nights like these, she knew the two were down in the Room of Requirement right now. Marissa wondered how James or Lily or Callum hadn't caught the two after all these years, but she didn't question it too much.

"I'm sixteen," Marissa mumbled to herself as she crept down the stairs to get a book, "I'm sixteen and I'm still afraid of lightning. Oh, what a world." She looked at the companion in her arms with a smile, "Oh well, at least you're always here for me, hm?"

"Are you talking to a stuffed bear?" somebody asked, making her stop on the last step of the staircase and hide Mister Button Bear behind her back with wide eyes.

"No," she said slowly, before huffing and glaring at him, crossing her arms over her chest and bringing Mister Button Bear into view once more, "What are you doing down here, Malfoy?"

"Hate thunder – what about you?" Scorpius questioned, pulling away completely from the book in his lap and looking at the Ravenclaw who looked as if she had stuck her finger in a light socket daily and enjoyed it.

She edged slowly closer to him, wondering if what before plopping on the couch unceremoniously, "Lightning."

He hummed as he watched her reach forward and pluck a book off of the coffee table, setting her feet up and hugging her stuffed bear to her as she opened the book at random. He closed his own and tilted his head curiously at her until she looked up at him with those big brown eyes.

"What?" she questioned.

He felt his mouth twitch into a smirk, "I'm just trying to figure you out."

She grinned back, "Good luck there – Mum, Dad and Dana have all given up. Flora doesn't even care."

He nodded slowly, the two going back to their respective books. What they didn't notice, however, wasn't each other – no, they kept glancing at each other when they were positive the other wouldn't notice – it was the fact that the storm got worse as they sat there and read.

Dana would have a _fit_.

* * *

><p><strong>So – this was thought up after a storm woke me up at three in the morning. I'm not scared of thunder or anything – I actually like it. <strong>

**Also – if you're pale, red haired and freckled and your mom tells you to try tanning – do _not_ do it. You will sit there outside for an hour and a half trying to get some color, only to think that it wasn't too sunny that day. You will get to a car lot only to have the sunburn show up on your legs and shoulders. It was slowly get redder and redder and you will be forced to slap aloe vera on you every fifteen minutes from the pain. **

**AKA – I've got a sunburn. And HATE it.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	33. Divisible By Five

**Somebody noticed and pointed out my _Pirates of the Caribbean_ reference. Why yes, dear readers, I _am_ a fan of that! And now, a little anecdote!**

**Me: "Why is the rum gone?"**

**Mom: "Rum? We had rum? Where? Did I miss it!"**

**I wubberz mah momma. :3 I should never wonder how I ever got so crazy. Haha. **

**This is a chapter for Jessica682. :D *bows***

**And now to your irregularly scheduled chapter of _Headaches_.**

* * *

><p><em>Five<em>

Hermione watched as the other children of Ottery St. Catchpole played on the playground, but she couldn't get her mother to budge.

"Please?" she asked once more, making the woman huff down at her.

"Hermione, I have far too many errands to do and I can't leave you without adult supervision."

"But – " she began.

"No 'but's, young lady," she frowned as Hermione sighed, looking back over her shoulder before following her mother to an outside fruit stand.

A little girl with dark brown hair waltzed over to her, "Hi! I'm Jessica! You wanna play?"

Hermione glanced back at her mum, "I can't. We've got errands to do."

Jessica pouted, "I hate errands. Can you not play 'cause of your mum?"

"Yeah – I'm supposed to have adult supervision," she said with a huff.

"My brother's an adult!" Jessica beamed, "He says you're one at eighteen! He's watching me right now!" She then blinked and checked behind her before grinning back at Hermione, "Or, well, he's supposed to. He hasn't noticed yet. Hold on."

The two girls were silent before Jessica giggled at the yelp that was heard, "I'm over here!"

The boy came jogging over to her, scowling, "I doze off for a second and you – "

"'Scuse me, Ma'am?" Jessica walked up to Hermione's mum, "Can I please play with your daughter? My brother's eighteen – he'll watch us."

The boy sputtered before sighing and grinning sheepishly at the woman, "Sure I will, Doctor Granger."

"Oh, Patrick," she smiled, "Well, alright." She turned to Hermione, "I'll meet you at the playground at five, alright?"

"Alright!" Hermione said brightly, pecking her on the cheek, "I love you, Mum!"

* * *

><p><em>Ten<em>

Hermione sighed, leaning against her ten-year-old friend as they stared out at the lake, sitting on top of the brick wall, "Jessica?"

"Mmhmm?"

"Do you believe in magic?"

Jessica straightened, looking at her with wide eyes, "Err – why do you ask?"

"No reason," Hermione said just ask quickly, the two becoming silent again as they both worried over their own thoughts.

* * *

><p><em>Fifteen<em>

"Oh back off, Weasley," Jessica practically growled as George rolled his eyes.

"I'm just saying, Granger, you should lighten up a bit," Fred grinned smoothly down at her from the back of the couch as the girl continued to read. "I can help."

"Forget it, Fred – no matter what you say, I'm not giving you back your puking pastilles."

Fred huffed down at her before catapulting himself on the cushion next to her, "Who said I was saying it because of that?"

Hermione arched an eyebrow at him, highly amused, "Then tell me why you were saying it."

Fred only glared at her before cursing and standing up, walking back to the boys' dorms as Jessica gaped at her best friend before gaping at George, who nodded sagely at her.

* * *

><p><em>Twenty<em>

Jessica whimpered, holding her head in her hands, "I hate my job."

Hermione winced and nodded, pulling a quill out of her hair, "We've got to quit."

"But where will we go? How will we pay rent?"

Hermione bit her lip, looking worriedly at her before two cracks of Apparation startled the girls.

"'Lo, Lovelies!" Fred grinned as George winked at Jessica. He soon lost the grin when he noticed how worried the two were, "What's wrong?"

"Something the matter?" George questioned.

"Anything we – "

" – can do to help?"

Hermione took a deep breath before plastering on her best smile, "Nothing's wrong."

Fred frowned as he took a step closer to her, "That was a huge lie, now what's wrong so we can fix it?"

Hermione winced across the island to Jessica before the latter sighed, "Well, you see…."

* * *

><p><em>Twenty-five<em>

"Hermione," Jessica whispered in the darkness, "Hermione, wake up."

"Hmm-ah?" she questioned, blinking her eyes open.

"I'm scared," she confessed.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Jessica, there's nothing to be scared about."

"But – "

"Jessie, all you have to do is walk down the aisle, smile, and look pretty," Hermione grinned, "I've no idea why _you're_ worried – after all, I'm the one getting married tomorrow." She closed her eyes as the girl glared at her, "Now go back to sleep."

She grumbled but shifted under the blankets more, "Yes, Master."

* * *

><p><em>Twenty-five…again<em>

"I'm scared."

"At least now you've got a reason to be."

"Hermione, I'm _serious_."

"No, you're not, you're Jessica."

"I'm even more scared."

"Why?"

"You just told a joke."

"Oh, shuddup!"

Fred shook his head and grinned, stepping away from the door as he looked back at his twin, "Hermione's talking her out of freaking out. Nothing to worry about, Georgie."

George breathed a sigh of relief, "I love your wife."

Fred laughed, making Hermione poke her head through the doors and grin at him, "Are you two trying to peek?"

"And if we were?" Fred smirked back down at her.

"Very rude, Mister Weasley," she pouted before pecking him on the lips, "Go calm George down, he looks very pale." She then disappeared back behind the door, leaving Fred to try and revive his twin before he had to walk down the aisle.

* * *

><p><em>Thirty<em>

"Mum, when will I go on the train?" Dana questioned her mother, looking up with big blue eyes as Marissa terrorized a block town with Jessica, making "rawr-rawr-rawr" sounds as they did so.

"A few more years, love," she smiled as Hestia dived onto her father and screamed as he lifted her upside down before flopping her on the couch.

Dana sighed and pouted at her before shrugging, "Oh well. It's not like it's boring here anyway."

Hermione laughed, hugging her eldest daughter as Fred glanced back at them and grinned before he was tackled by Marissa.

* * *

><p><strong>What strange happenings go on in my brain?<strong>

**I have no idea.**

**It's one o'clock in the morning and everything hurts.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	34. Where's the Booze?

**Alright, last birthday chapter is for DarthAbby. And then I'm going to go back to sleep. :) Everybody okay with that plan? Good? Okay then!**

* * *

><p>"Charlie!"<p>

"Charlie!"

"Hey, Charlie, where are you?" Fred called through his older brother's house on the dragon reserve.

"We need to bug you!" George grinned at his twin as Charlie walked into the hall and sighed at them.

"Come on, then – at the very least I can do something productive while you bug me," Charlie sighed, going back the way he came and leading the two into the kitchen, where Hermione and Abby were busy with basically creating meatballs for the dragons.

"Egh," George wrinkled his nose, taking a step back as the girls turned and smiled at him, "What is _that_?"

Hermione held out the meat with her hands, which were bloodstained and looked particularly horrifying for the twin that wasn't completely head over heels for her, "_Mooooo_."

Abby, a girl with strawberry blonde hair, laughed and grinned at her before whirling around to glare at Charlie, as he'd flicked one of her braids, "Oy! Don't make me hit you with this!"

"Bring it!" he grinned down at her.

Nearly everybody aside from Harry, Ron and Ginny were surprised that Hermione decided to go to Romania to work with dragons after the war. Charlie had been her tutor until she practically knew everything that he did, but the two were still quite close as they had to share quarters on the reserve. Add in Abby, who could be very sarcastic and teasing around her friends, and you've got a very entertaining mess.

"So – any luck with the ol' boss?" Fred questioned his older brother, making him sigh as he began to shape the meat.

"Rothbart isn't going to be too lenient about this, guys," Charlie said, "There's paperwork and restrictions and we don't even know what you're using the things for – if somebody gets hurt, not only you but also the dragon reserve will be in trouble. He's considering it, but I don't know if – "

"We can talk to him," Abby shrugged, sitting up on the counter, "He loves us. Right, Hermione?"

"The man acts like we hung the moon and set the sun," Hermione smiled back.

"You're goddesses," George bowed.

"Hermione, maybe, dunno about Abs much," Charlie teased, making Abby glare at him.

"What do you need the things for, anyway?" Hermione asked, finishing with her meatball and putting it in a bowl before she walked to the sink.

"We've heard that there a certain attributes that dragon items can add to a potion," Fred offered, sliding up next to her, "Like if you add a Hungarian Horntail scale, you're going to get to be able to breathe fire."

"At least, that's what we're hoping we'll accomplish," George sighed, "Nobody has ever been granted permission to use dragon things."

"Just let Abby and I talk to him, and you'll soon be the first," Hermione promised with a grin.

* * *

><p>"So shut up and put your money where your mouth is, that's what you get for waking up in Vegas! Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now, that's what you get for waking up in Vegas! That's what you get, Baby!" was what greeted a very amused Fred as he stepped into the Muggle house, tilting his head around the archway, to see Hermione and Abby dancing and singing along to a Muggle music player in the kitchen.<p>

"Good evening, Ladies!" Fred greeted, making Hermione gasp and dive to pause the music, which made Abby pout.

"What is it, Fred?" Abby asked.

"Just wanted to thank you two for talking to Rothbart," he beamed, "You both really _are_ goddesses."

"I am Abby – Lady of the Promises!" she exclaimed, grinning madly, "This is my companion, Hermione – Lady of Hope! Together, we help all who seek our assistance!"

"More like – 'hi, I'm 'Imm!'" Hermione slid to Abby's side and grinned at Fred, "She's 'Ature!' Together we're 'Immature!'" She then winked at him as he blinked before laughing loudly, grinning at her as Abby glared.

"I'm shoving you to Bartis on Monday," she declared.

"Bartis Baby loves me," Hermione smirked.

"That thing is not a _baby_," Abby glared more, "It is a monster of evil and killing."

"Oh, Fred!" Hermione's mum, Hestia, smiled as she walked into the room, dressed in a dark green dress and pearls, "I didn't know you'd be stopping by!"

Fred shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets and smiling, "I had to thank them for doing a major favor for me and George."

She smiled wider, "I heard. Can't believe my baby girl's working with dragons. And the worst part is I can't brag about it!"

"Mum," Hermione laughed, smiling at her mother, "You can brag about it, people will just think you're senile."

"True," she nodded before checking the clock over the mantle, "He should be here by now."

"He called – said he'd be late, but he'd bring by flowers as a consolation," Hermione smiled as Abby swooned.

"Hot boyfriend, Missus G?" Fred winked as she swatted at his arm.

She flushed, looking a bit embarrassed, "That is none of your business." She paused before looking elated, "But he is _very_."

"Mum!" Hermione gaped as Abby cackled.

Hestia only winked at her daughter, "Find yourself a boy, Sweetie, I want to gab."

When Hermione had regained her parents' memories, she couldn't have been happier. She spent months at their house, talking about anything and everything and glad to spend family time with them. The happiness was short-lived, however, when Hermione's father – David – had a heart attack and died. Three years later, Hestia had gotten back into the dating world, to the pleasure of her daughter. She was happy, and her boyfriend William was nice and funny, so therefore Hermione was happy too. Aside from her mother trying to set her up with boys so the two Granger women and their dates could "double." But whatever.

The doorbell announced William, Fred brightening and sprinting off to go get it before Hestia could. Hermione and Abby beamed at each other before hiding behind the counter, only their eyes peeking out as Hestia winced just a little.

"Ahh – Fred, right? Or are you George? I've seen pictures, Tia's showed them to me, and I can never tell which one's which," William said before Fred could even open his mouth. The redhead blinked at him before frowning and calling over his shoulder.

"You _ruined it!_" he exclaimed as Hestia laughed and walked into the entryway as Fred held the door open wider and allowed him in. William offered the flowers to her, making her light up and grin at him before walking into the kitchen to go put them in a vase, shooing the pajama-clad girls out of the room.

"Hermione," Will smiled, pecking her on the cheek, "You look lovely." They both then looked down at her Tweety Bird shorts and white tank top, which had paint splatters on it from when she had taken up painting with her mum – which they both decided that they couldn't do. "You're still lovely, but I _love_ the shorts." She laughed as Abby bounced herself in front of him.

"Will!" she beamed, throwing her arms around him and hugging him as he laughed and patted her head.

"'Lo, Abby, it's nice to see you too," he grinned, "You been behaving?"

"Mostly! Sorta! Kinda! Not really, no, but I haven't been caught!" she chirped as Hermione and Fred laughed at her.

"Alright, I've got my mobile, you know the emergency numbers, don't do anything that could get you arrested or I will _kill _you," Hestia began as she walked into the room, ticking the things off on her fingers.

"Mum, I'm twenty, nearly twenty-one," Hermione smiled at her mother, "We'll be fine."

She looked skeptically at her before turning to Fred, "Watch them?"

"_What?_" Hermione and Abby gaped at her as he beamed and nodded as William led Hestia out of the house.

* * *

><p>The three ended up watching movies well into the night, wrapped up in blankets and feeling sleep attempt to wash over them when Hestia walked into her house, tears streaming down her face as William followed.<p>

"Hermione – I, I can't – he asked and we have to – we have to tell him, he has to know," she said as her worried daughter leapt up, Abby and Fred standing as well.

"Mum, calm down, what's going on?" she questioned.

"I – I proposed to your mum," William admitted, looking at Hestia worriedly, "She started crying and said that she had to talk to you first."

"Oh," Hermione winced, biting her lip, "Oh. Uhm…I…."

"Hermione's a witch, so is Abby, and I'm a wizard!" Fred offered.

William blinked at him, his face starting to twitch into a smile, only stopping when nobody else was laugh, "Are…are you serious?"

"Liquor," Hestia murmured.

"Mum, you don't drink," Hermione followed her into the kitchen.

"I've recently thought about taking it up."

"Mum!"

"Oh, come on, Hermione – you're two girls who are of age who stop by nearly every weekend – where's the booze?" she questioned.

Hermione only sighed and pointed her wand at the top of the cabinet, lowering it and letting her mother grab it as she walked back into the living room, swigging from the bottle. She wrinkled her nose and swallowed with difficulty before giving a little cough.

"That's got some kick," she noted before taking another swig.

"You – you just levitated the bottle," William stammered, lowering himself onto a chair, "From the cabinet."

"Yeah," Hermione shrugged, scratching the back of her neck, "I did."

He stared at her for a moment before reaching out for the bottle, taking a swig and coughing before nodding, "Alright, I can deal with that."

"You're okay?" Hermione blinked, "With everything?"

"I kind of have to be, don't I?" he shrugged.

"Did my mother ever give you an answer?" she questioned.

"Ahh – no," he grinned as Hestia hid her mouth behind the bottle, looking innocently away from her daughter.

"Mum," Hermione said, trying to be stern as she grinned.

"Only if you go out with Fred," she countered.

Fred and Hermione both gaped at her – Will and Abby looked mildly amused.

"Mum!" Hermione shrieked, her face starting to get red.

"Oh come off it – I see it in the looks in your eyes, you obviously like him, and he obviously likes you." She rolled her eyes, shaking her head at Abby, "Honestly, I thought my daughter was smarter than this. It's been what – three years for her to figure it out?"

Hermione was covering her mouth with her hands as she stared at her mother.

"But, yes, William, I will marry you," Hestia smiled at him, offering the bottle, "Firewhiskey?"

"I just…I can't anymore," Hermione threw her hands up before walking out onto the back porch, which overlooked the ocean, climbing up onto the railing and sighing as she hid her face. She immediately stiffened when the door opened and shut, somebody leaning against the railing next to her.

They both stared out at the dark waves rolling in, the stars up above them, when he nudged her in the ribs and turned around so he could lean his back against the railing and grin at her.

"Your mum's truthful when she's drunk," he smiled.

"Abby better watch out then – she'll be going after her and Charlie soon enough," she tilted her head thoughtfully, "Actually, I might as well do that."

He chuckled, grinning at her, "So…yes?"

"Yes," she smiled back, reaching forward to peck him on the cheek.

"YES!" Abby and Hestia cheered as William laughed, all three of them standing by the window.

* * *

><p>"Fred, why are we here?" Hermione laughed, trying to keep her curls out of the way as they walked down the beach, making him grin as he swept them back.<p>

"Well, I dunno, I just fancied a walk down the beach, away from family," he shrugged, "You?"

She grinned, glancing back to see Charlie throwing his girlfriend into the water, "Yes, very much so."

"Brilliant," he smiled, reaching forward and taking her hand, "Look, umm, I've been thinking."

"Ahh?" she questioned as they stopped, Fred turning her away from his family by stepping in front of her.

"And, well, we've been through quite a bit together."

"Ahh-hah?" she was only half-smiling now, an eyebrow arched.

He lowered himself onto one knee, mouth open as he reached for the ring, staring up into her wide eyes when a wave crashed over him. When it left, he kneeled there, blinking up at her as she stifled her laughs. He found himself laughing with her, grinning at her as she lowered herself onto the ground next to him, kissing him.

"So…yes?" he asked with a sheepish grin.

"Yes," she beamed back.

"Yes!" Hestia cheered from the porch, William shaking his head at his wife, "My daughter's getting married!"

"_Mum_," Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes at Fred before he kissed her again.

* * *

><p><strong>Mmm…yeah. Sorry, I got sidetracked. I'll try to update a little bit more, but I've had – ahh – family problems. Dad got out of the hospital after being in for a week because of emergency surgery and whatnot, but he's fine now. Or, well, he should be. <strong>

**I hope you liked this chapter! The last half was severely rushed because I hated not updating for forever.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	35. Well Whoops

**So I've actually been sitting on this idea for a while, and I've always stowed it away as a "Plan B" of sorts.**

***shrug***

**This is _really, really_ AU.**

* * *

><p>"Come now, sister dear – "<p>

"It'll be fun!"

"Lots of fireworks – "

"It'll be brilliant!"

Lily Evans sighed and rolled her eyes, looking up at her brothers, "No thank you, Fred and George, I'm not interested."

Fred and George huffed and glared at her.

"However did we end up with a trip like you?" George asked, using one of the siblings' terms for "triplet." Although Fred and George looked identical in every way, Lily was fraternally different from them. Something about eggs and ovum and other things that made the siblings grimace at each other.

"Honestly, I thought you'd have a bit more fun, seeing as we're your darling brothers," Fred pouted, "Oh, George, we've lost our purpose in life! Little Lily won't prank with us!"

"Oh the humanity!" George sobbed into his arm as Lily rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You don't need me, you've got the other Marauders to play with," she waved them away.

"Well, yes, but – "

"They aren't _family_, Lalalu!" Lily glared at the nickname.

"I'm not going to prank with you and that is _that!_" she snapped at her brothers.

They sighed, rolling their eyes at her before grumbling away down Hogwarts corridors. After a few paces, they blinked at Lily, who was in between them and shaking her head as she grinned up at the two.

"Honestly, I'm your sister, of course I'll help," she snorted, smiling at them, "Can we go prank Potter?"

"Sure!" they said happily, glad to get their sister in on the act.

* * *

><p>"Oh no," Remus clutched at the paper, his face going pale, "No you're not, no you're not!"<p>

"He does know that's paper, right?" Sirius whispered across to James, who chuckled and swatted him away.

"What is it, Moony?" George asked, climbing through the portrait hole with Lily, Fred nowhere to be seen.

"My _mum_ is having my _cousin_ over for the _summer!_" he huffed, wadding up the paper and throwing it into the fire, "And my cousin doesn't _know!_"

"Oh," everybody chorused.

"The whole summer?" Lily asked.

"Something about her transferring schools because of bullies or whatever," Remus shrugged.

"Remus!" Lily snapped, glaring at the sixteen year old boy, "Be nice then!"

"I don't know her!" he exclaimed, trying to defend himself, "I haven't seen her since we were three, then she moved to viva la de France!"

"Oui?" Fred grinned, tilting his head as he walked into the room, "Qu'en est-il de France?"

"What?" Remus sighed, exasperated with people.

"What about France?" he translated, sitting next to Lily and dropping his sister in his lap, braiding her hair absentmindedly.

"My cousin is from there," he snorted, glaring at the burning paper, "And she doesn't know that I'm a wizard and everything. _And_ she's spending the summer at my house."

"Ooh," he winced, "Sorry then."

He shrugged, giving a 'what can you do?' kind of look before shaking his head and going back to his work.

* * *

><p>"Why are we here anyway?" Fred huffed, frowning down at his sister, "I really don't see the point."<p>

"The point being that Remus's cousin is new here and doesn't have any friends," Lily smiled, "We're here to make nice."

"Make love, not war!" George shouted as he jumped off of a bench, winking at a gaggle of school girls as he walked along behind his siblings. Lily rolled her eyes and hid her face, shaking her head as Fred chuckled. They neared a house, a porch overhanging a cliff that plummeted down to a sea below.

A girl was sweeping the porch, singing loudly as Remus hung upside down from the railing, a book in front of his gaze and hanging with him.

Fred stopped and looked at the scene, pausing when he heard the girl singing over the waves.

"I will live my life as a lobsterman's wife on an island in a blue bay. He will take care of me, he will smell like the sea, and close to my heart he will always stay. I will bear three girls, all with strawberry curls, named Ella and Nellie and Faye. While I'm combing their hair, I will catch his warm stare, on our island in a blue bay. Far away, far away, I – AAH!" she jumped, clutching the broom as Remus fought to right himself, ending up screaming and falling to the bushes. George laughed at him as he jumped up and glared at them, Lily wincing and waving as Fred tilted his head at the girl.

She was currently blushing, sweeping a few of her brown curls away from her eyes, averting her eyes and biting her lip as she held the broom tighter.

"No, you were good," Fred reassured her, making her eyes widen and her blush darken.

"Thank you," she muttered before dashing into the house and shutting the door behind her.

Remus stood from the bushes, dusting himself off, "Could've made your presence known some time earlier, you know."

"But then we wouldn't have seen you try to fly, Moony!" George chuckled.

"Why were you hanging upside down, anyway?" Lily questioned.

"Blood flow, bored, take your pick," he shrugged, waving them into the house, where James and Sirius had started to tease the girl as she blushed into a pillow, glaring at them.

"Hermione, these are my friends, Fred, George and Lily Evans," Remus introduced, waving in their direction, "They won't try to embarrass you as much as those other two."

"Moony!" James gasped, hands over his heart, "That offends!"

"I really don't care," he shrugged, flopping into a nearby chair. "And it's true anyway."

Hermione gave a little smile before smothering it.

"What were you singing?" Fred asked before Lily could open her mouth, the other siblings sharing confused glances.

"Ahh…" she bit her lip, twirling the hem of her skirt around her finger, "A song."

He grinned, "I figured that much. It was good. I liked it."

"Thank you," she said, already edging away, her head tilted down.

"Oh, Fred, leave her alone, she's embarrassed that we caught her singing," Lily frowned up at her brother.

"Hey, she can actually sing, unlike you," Fred grinned as Lily glared, "You squawk in the shower. I sometimes think you're murdering a bird or something."

"Shut up!" she glared as Hermione grinned at them, "I do not! I'm in choir!"

"Which amazes me even more!"

George snorted, coughing his laughs away into his fist as Lily whirled her glare on him, "Right, sorry then. But it's rather true."

"I'm sure you sing wonderfully, Lily," James grinned at her as Sirius started to cough something into his hand, Remus snorting as he and James were the ones to hear it.

Fred shook his head, turning back to Hermione, "Do you speak much English?"

"No, I speak in Morse Code," she replied drily before slapping her hands over her mouth with a gasp as Fred grinned, "I'm sorry! That was mean!"

"No, no, it's fine," he laughed as George and Lily exchanged sly grins, Remus glancing up from his book and smirking, "You have a sense of humor."

"That's…good, right?" she whirled back to Remus, eyes wide, "'Humor' means 'funny,' right?"

"Yes, he thinks you're funny, Cousin," Remus grinned, "The meaning of the word 'humor' hasn't changed in the fourteen years you haven't spoken English."

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him, "Well ever since you told me that you play pranks with your friends, I can't be sure of too much, now can I?"

"I only spray painted your hair one time, and we were three," he huffed.

"It got in my _eye!_"

"Pink eye!"

Lily and George cackled against each other, wincing as Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Say, Hermione, why don't you get Fred to show you around town?" James popped up, smiling innocently at her, "He knows all of these _fun_ places to go."

"Well, I – "

"And Remus doesn't mind, do you?" Sirius turned to him, smirking as he grinned.

"Oh no, not at all, go on, have fun," he smirked as George nudged Lily in the ribs, silently agreeing with her to get Fred out with Hermione.

"Yeah, Freddie, show her around town, make sure she's safe," George smiled disarmingly at his brother, which instantly made him suspicious, "She's probably all bored stuck in here with us cramping up the room."

"I'll tell Mum you're out, don't worry," Lily smiled, "She won't mind."

"I'm up for it if you are," Fred turned to Hermione, who was hiding her mouth as everybody stared at her.

"Well…alright then," she shrugged, casting another glance at Remus to make sure it was alright to go.

"Mum says curfew is ten-thirty," Remus waved them away and out of the house, grinning madly with the others once they left, "Well, that's going to go brilliantly!"

"Oh shit," Sirius gasped, looking at everybody with wide eyes, "Hermione's a Muggle. We just set Fred up with a Muggle girl."

"_Crap_," George smacked his hand against his face.

"And this is bad because…why?" James asked.

"James, with everything that's going on in our world, Hermione doesn't really need to be pulled into it," Lily told him, "It's enough that she's Remus's cousin, and now that we've got her with Fred…."

His eyes went wide, "Oh."

Everybody winced at each other until Sirius shrugged.

"They probably won't end up dating."

"Yeah, you're right," James nodded, although the relatives of the two shared worried glances.

* * *

><p>"She's amazing, George!" Fred exclaimed to his brother's sleepy form, beaming at him as he finally cracked his eyes open.<p>

"Who is?" George yawned, already closing his eyes.

"Hermione, of course!" he jumped off of his bed, "She's smart and she's funny and she's got a quick wit, and she's gorgeous when she laughs – I mean, she's gorgeous when she's not laughing, but when she _does_ – "

"Alright, Freddie, now run off and go write a poem for her or something," George smiled, rolling his eyes as he snuggled into his pillow.

Fred stopped, thinking this over before looking curiously at him, "Do you think she'd like it if I did?"

George opened his eyes, frowning as he sat up and stared at him, "You're…you're serious."

"No, I'm Fred," he smirked before dropping it, "Yeah, I'm not joking, why do you ask?"

George jumped up out of bed, tearing across the room and down the steps, startling their mother as he reached for the phone, Fred following along calmly behind as Lily worriedly ran down the steps as well.

"What? What's wrong? Is Tuney back?" Lily asked, her eyes wide with fear at the idea of their big sister coming home for any reason at all.

"Remus?" George asked the phone, "Did she wake up? Yeah? And what'd she say? ..._Shit!_"

"George Evans!" Kathleen yelped, swatting her son with a dishrag, "Language!"

"Sorry, Mum, honest – but what are we going to do?" he asked Remus on the other end, towing himself onto the counter, where Kathleen frowned at this action but rolled her eyes, as there was nothing to do to get him off. "Well we can't…I know, we can't, that's mean…you think? But…I know, but still…Yeah, that'd probably be best…Nah, I'm pretty sure he'll tow us over soon enough, and if Mum catches wind that I'm talking about Freddie's girly, she'll probably be invited to our house for supper or something soon enough – "

Kathleen brightened, looking excitedly at Fred as he glared at his brother.

"Ooh, I said that out loud," he smirked at Fred, "Oops. Oh yeah? Okay. Yeah…sure, we'll see you then! Bye!" He hung up, swinging his legs onto the floor and making his way casually over to the living room.

"Well, what'd he say?" Fred asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," George shrugged, "But, ahh, he did say you were going to show Hermione something in a few minutes, yeah?"

"I forgot," Fred shook his head at himself, dashing up the stairs to go get ready.

"She likes him, Lily," George pouted, setting himself on the couch, "She's 'stars over the moon crazy mad' for him, according to Remus."

"What does that even mean?" she asked, perching herself on the coffee table.

"I dunno, it's a Moony thing," he waved it away, "We can't split them up. Fred will hopefully come to his senses before school starts up and breaks it off with her."

"But…if they're happy…."

"Lily, she could get hurt because of what we are," he said as she winced at that, "Do you want that to happen to her?"

"Well, no, but they'll both be miserable."

"But they'll be safe."

"Who'll be safe?" Fred asked, tilting his head at them as he stepped off the stairs.

"Ohh – the queen and the king, in chess," he grinned, "Lily's rubbish at it, remember?"

"Yeah – hey, tell Mum I'll grab something for breakfast on the way, yeah?"

"Yeah," he held the grin until he walked out of the door, sighing and pouting back at Lily, "I don't like it either, Lils, but they _can't_ get that badly hurt."

She sighed and nodded, "At least they'll be happy this summer."

"Yeah."

* * *

><p>"I am in love," Fred announced as he flopped on the couch, flinging his legs over onto his brother's, fingers knit behind his head as he grinned.<p>

"Look, Freddie…" George began, "I think we need to talk."

"About what?" he asked, looking at him curiously.

"Well…Fred, with everything that's going on with You-Know-Who and all of that…does Hermione really need to be dragged into the middle of things?"

"I've thought of that," he replied, wincing as he moved his legs and sat up, "I just…"

"Fred?"

"I don't want her to get hurt but then again I don't want to break up with her and I just…don't…" Fred grimaced, flopping back against the arm rest of the couch, "_Ugh_."

"Freddie…." George began sympathetically, "Think about what's best for her. If she got hurt – "

"Don't even think like that," Fred stopped him, waving the idea away with a frown, "And stop that. You're making me come down from my love high. Reality sucks."

George sighed, "Right, sorry. But…?"

Fred was silent for a few moments, "Before I leave for Hogwarts."

George patted his ankle before getting up and walking to their room, leaving Fred to shove a pillow over his face and groan.

* * *

><p>"Why are people happy if I'm miserable?" Fred asked his sister, leaning against his cart with a pout as he pushed it along, "It doesn't make any sense."<p>

"I know, Fred, but you did what was best for her," Lily patted his arm, "She'll be safe, at least. And who knows, maybe one day you'll – "

She was cut off with several louds "hey"s, offended gasps coming from those they twisted and turned around to get to Fred.

"Fred, Fred," Remus panted as he, James and Sirius were out of breath, "Wait a sec – wait one second, alright?"

"Why?" he asked bitterly, frowning at them.

"Because – oh shit," Sirius took a deep breath, "I hate running, but – because she's not really a - !"

"She's not, it's okay, she's – oh my lungs," James wheezed, doubling over.

"What is wrong with you three?" Fred questioned.

"Okay, so - !" James popped up as if nothing were wrong, clapping his hands, "You know that _thing_ your broke up with Hermione for?"

"No, do tell me the very reason why I am thinking of ramming my head into a wall repeatedly," Fred said drily.

"Oh shut it, it's good news," Remus stood and frowned, "You know how she moved to France when she was three?"

"Yeah?" Lily asked.

"She was _three_," he stressed, "_I _was _three_."

"Is there a relative point to this?" Fred asked.

"She's a – "

"Fred?" Hermione asked, making him straighten up and blink at her cart as she blinked at his.

"So you're a - ?"

"And you're one too," she blinked before grinning at him, "I think we broke up for nothing."

"Yes, we did," he grinned, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go hunt down my brother for convincing me to do so in the first place."

She laughed as he turned and looked for George while Lily ran up to her and beamed.

"You can both be happy now!" she exclaimed before hugging her, startling her as she looked wide-eyed at her cousin, who was laughing.

"AAAHH!" George yelled, ripping Lily and Hermione apart and running past them, Fred chasing him before they both turned back and grinned at Hermione.

"Want to go out again?" Fred asked hopefully, making her laugh and nod, which in turn made him don a million-watt smile, "Brilliant!"

"Welcome to the family!" George grinned before running again, laughing as Fred growled and chased after him.

* * *

><p>"Please?"<p>

"No," Lily frowned, arms over her chest, "I'm not pranking with you and that is that. I really have work to do, guys."

"But - !" George began before Sirius clapped a hand over his mouth and shoved him into a crevice in the wall, James grabbing Lily's hand and throwing her in the one across the hall and diving for cover.

"It's fine," Remus shrugged with a grin, "I'm really glad you're that serious about her."

"Of course I am," Fred snorted, "I just wanted to check with you first."

"If she ever finds out about that, she'll kill you."

"Yup," he said brightly, grinning as he and Remus turned the corner and the four pulled out of hiding and looked after them curiously.

"What did they mean by _that_?" Hermione asked overhead, startling them and making them look up to see that she was holding on to a broom, legs picked up as she frowned down at them.

"What the - ?" James began before Lily and George gasped and beamed at each other.

"Fred!" Lily called, chasing after him with George following, "Fred! Fred! Fred!"

"Is everybody in that family insane?" Hermione asked James and Sirius.

"Yeah, pretty much," they shrugged dully up at her.

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><p><strong>What did I just write?<br>I dunno.**

**Pfft.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	36. Do It Again Do It Again Do It Again

**Inspiration~!**

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><p>"—we couldn't fit in useless loser either—for his father, you know—"<p>

Fred and George had realized what Malfoy was talking about. Halfway through shaking Harry's hand, they stiffened, looking round at Malfoy.

"Leave it!" said Angelina at once, taking Fred by the arm. "Leave it, Fred, let him yell, he's just sore he lost, the jumped-up little—"

"—but you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter?" said Malfoy, sneering. "Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles, even the Weasleys' hovel smells OK—"

Harry lunged for George, while it took the combined strength of Angelina, Alicia and Katie to hold back Fred.

"Or perhaps," said Malfoy, leering as he backed away, "you can remember what your mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasleys' pigsty reminds you of it—"

Hermione then chose that moment to step up out of nowhere and punch Malfoy squarely in the jaw. When he popped back up, he and everybody else was staring at her, Fred and George being stilled as they gaped at her.

"Oh just _shut up_, Malfoy, everybody is tired of the complete and utter _shit_ that comes out of your mouth!" she yelled, glaring at him as Fred started to beam at her.

"Miss Granger!" Umbridge shrieked as the young Gryffindor turned to her and put her hands on her hips, daring her to say anything else, "Detention for a month in my office for beating a student!"

Hermione then smirked and curtseyed, her hands holding out an invisible skirt, "With _pleasure_." She then turned and walked away, back towards the castle as everybody else began to snap out of it. Fred broke free first, rushing towards her and picking her up to twirl her around as he beamed. She blinked down at him and started to smile when he set her back on her feet, crashing his lips down to hers and tangling his hands in her hair.

There were a lot of cries of celebration when they broke apart, Fred beaming down at her.

"Oh, you're brilliant," he whispered, going in for another kiss.

She smiled against his lips, feeling victorious and grinning when they broke apart, "I might actually like this rule-breaking stuff."

"Oh, I love you," he pecked her forehead, making his way back down to her lips, "You're the most beautiful, amazing, wonderful, smart, witty, intelligent, perfect girlfriend in the entire world."

She beamed at the praise, "Well if that's not enough incentive to punch him again, I don't know what is."

"I'm certainly not stopping you."

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><p><strong>Umm, umm…it was inspired by that one picture on Tumblr that viria drew and it had that first part up there and yeah. Credit~!<strong>

**Just a little drabble. I like it.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	37. Wake Up

**I feel like writing fluff. Fluff fluff fluffity fluff fluff fluff. Like a cotton ball got married to a cloud and their baby married cotton candy and then that baby got married to air. That baby would be seriously fluffy then.**

**I don't write really fluffy stuff, so bear with me.**

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><p>"Hermione," he sing-songed quietly, trailing his finger down her nose, making her twitch in her sleep, "Hermione, Love."<p>

"Mmn," she frowned, her eyes still closed, "What?"

He dipped his head down, pecking her on the cheek, her eyes fluttering open, "Time to wake up."

"No," she said stubbornly, hiding her face in his chest, "Sleepy."

"Hermione," the grin was in his voice, "C'mon, wake up."

"I am, I'm talking to you aren't I?" she replied, "I am, however, not getting up."

"Hermione," he began.

"Fred," she mimicked, pulling back a little to frown at him as she gathered the blankets around her shoulders and laid her head back on his chest, closing her eyes as he laughed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I always thought you'd be a morning person during school," he snorted, "Dunno _what_ I was thinking, but I was dead wrong, wasn't I?"

"Hey, I used to like mornings when I was five," she muttered with a shrug, "Then I started school and realized that morning is actually sometime around six or seven."

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "We need to get up."

"Ugh," she wrinkled her nose, "Why do you have to be right?"

He shrugged, getting out of the bed as she sat up and ran her hands over her face, pulling on a shirt, "I'm sorry, but I thought you'd want to get married to your extremely good-looking fiancé. You can go back to sleep then."

She grinned at him, "I'm sorry, I really do want to marry you. I said 'yes,' didn't I?"

He grinned and swooped in to kiss her, smirking at her when he pulled back, "That you did." He picked her up out of the bed, twirling her around, "And now you're stuck with me forever! Isn't that great?"

She laughed, leaning against him, "It sounds marvelous."

He beamed and pecked her nose as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I love you, Hermione."

"I love you, too, Fred," she smiled back before the two jumped at the knocking at the door.

"It's me," Harry whispered, "Fred, you might want to run, your mum's on her way, and if she sees that you saw Hermione before the wedding…."

He blanched and set Hermione on her feet, kissing her once more before slipping out of the door, where Harry waved at her with a brightly lit smile and thumbs-up before he shut the door.

"Fred Weasley, were you trying to see her before the wedding?" Molly asked as she approached her son, George grimacing behind her.

"What? No – I was just talking to her through the door," he scoffed, shaking his head as he walked past her.

"You could've at least changed your shirt from last night," she told him dully, making him blink and look down at his shirt before smacking himself in the head, turning to wince at his smirking mother.

"Sorry, Mum," he laughed, running a hand through his hair, "I can't stay away from her."

She sighed, smiling at him fondly as she patted his cheek, "You're a good boy, Freddie."

"First time he's ever heard that," Ron teased as he passed, making the twins swat at him as Harry snorted.

"Now go on, and no trouble on your wedding day," Molly frowned as she waved Fred away, turning to Harry, "Keep an eye on them."

"Missus Weasley, I've fought dragons, Death Eaters, dementors and even Voldemort himself," Harry said dully, "But there is no way in the name of Merlin that I can stop Fred and or George from pulling a prank. Just pray that it's only fireworks."

She sighed and nodded as the twins grinned happily at each other. The four boys began to walk away before George stopped with a snap of his fingers.

"What?" Fred asked, looking at him curiously as George ran to Hermione's door and opened it a little.

"Welcome to the family, Hermione!" he beamed before shutting the door once he heard her 'thanks,' walking back to his brothers with a happy little grin on his face and his hands in his pockets.

"I'm excited, Freddie," George bounced.

"I am too," he grinned back.

* * *

><p><strong>…I'll just leave that there then. <strong>

**And somebody asked what the picture was for the last chapter. For one thing, FF hates when I post links. For another, I will have to go through interesting arts to find it, by which time I will more than likely forget what I was hunting. But, if it means that much, I'll go track it down. But you should check out more of viria's stuff – both on Tumblr and deviantART. She's an amazing artist, and if you also like Legend of Korra and/or Avatar: the Last Airbender, she's currently on that kick, but still has Harry Potter things up. And a few Doctor Who things. Dunno if she's in Loki's fan-army or not. I haven't seen any Avengers art by her, I don't think. If you want a list of artists to check out on Tumblr for whichever fandom, I'll be happy to write one out. They're all amazing though.**

**(And somebody made me feel special about my "Love, Birdie"s and comparing me to J. K. Rowling. Thank you! *cuddles*)**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	38. Don't Be an Arse

**Did you guys know that the Chamber of Secrets is open on Pottermore? I can't fling the stupid freaking gnomes out of the garden! They keep bumping around my screen! How do I get rid of them?**

* * *

><p>"Two points!" George cheered, grinning brightly at his twin as Fred laughed at the potato-like being rubbing his head.<p>

"Couldn't you be a little bit _nicer_ to them?" a voice asked, making the twins turn and blink at her as Ron scoffed.

"Hermione, they're just _gnomes_," Ron frowned at her, chucking one over the fence, "Don't be daft, they think it's fun."

"_Hardly_," she frowned back, crossing her arms over her chest, "Would you think it's fun if somebody flung _you_ over a fence on your head?"

"Ooh, let's try it!" Fred grinned, picking Ron up by his ankle as George grabbed his arms, their younger brother yelping and demanding to be put down as Harry laughed at them. "One!" they started rocking Ron towards the fence.

"Two!" George continued.

"FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY, YOU PUT YOUR BROTHER DOWN THIS _INSTANT!_"

"But Mum!" they chorused, pouting at her as she stood at the doorway.

"He was mean to Hermione, Mum," Fred said, making the two guests blink at them, as well as their mother.

"Yeah, Mum, called her daft!" George spoke up.

"Very mean!" Fred concluded, finally dropping Ron's ankle the same time George dropped his arms, making him faceplant into the dirt.

"Ron, don't be mean to Hermione, I'm fairly certain she won't stand for it," Molly frowned at him before frowning at the twins, "And don't hurt your brother. She can do just fine on her own."

Hermione blushed a little as the woman went back into the kitchen, looking curiously at the twins before following her in.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron asked his brothers from the ground.

George waved him away but arched an eyebrow at Fred, who shrugged as a response.

* * *

><p>"Your bloody cat <em>ate<em> Scabbers!" Ron yelled at her, clutching at his sheets, which were stained red as Hermione looked wide-eyed at him.

"Ron, Crookshanks wouldn't hurt anything, he – "

"He would and he _did_!" he yelled, his face slowly turning purple, "He ate my rat!"

"Ron, he – " her voice was wavering, "He didn't – "

"Ron, what proof do you have that Crookshanks ate Scabbers?" Fred frowned, stepping up next to her as George went to her other side and wrapped an arm around her, patting her shoulder.

Ron only waved his sheets, which were covered in something red.

"What, d'you spill ketchup on your bed and forget again?"

"Her cat killed Scabbers! See! Ginger hairs!"

"Ron, _you_ have ginger hair!" Fred glared, "Besides – even if Crookshanks _did_ kill Scabbers – which I'm not saying he did – Ron, Scabbers was old and sick and you complained about him every day."

"He didn't have to go like that," Ron sniffed, glaring at Fred.

"And you don't have to blame Hermione," he glared back, "Now apologize to her."

"_What?_ I am not about to – "

"Do it or we'll tell Mum!" George glared, pulling Hermione into his chest.

Ron only glared further at them before stalking up the staircase.

Harry shifted awkwardly where he stood, coughing into his fist, "Well…uhhmm…."

Hermione wiped her eyes and stepped away from them, shooting them a smile before going up the girls' staircase.

"Honestly, our brother," Fred snorted, shaking his head, "Dunno how Hermione puts up with him some days."

* * *

><p>"Ron, you're a – you're a - !"<p>

"What, Hermione?"

"You're an arse, a great big bloody arse!" Fred turned the corner and blinked when he saw that she was, in fact, crying, although she looked as if she'd love nothing more than to hit his younger brother repeatedly.

"Oh yeah, why am I an arse?" Ron challenged.

"You can't – you can't _stand_ the fact that somebody else found out I was a girl, you can't _stand_ the fact that I'm – that I'm making friends that aren't just you and Harry – _Harry_ is making friends that aren't just you and I, but you – you can't seem to _grow up_ and _learn_ that _things change!_" She was gripping her dress, her hair falling in her face, "People _grow up!_ People fall in love and start families, but you can't seem to accept the fact that in order to do that, they have to meet people, they have to risk things, they have to – "

"So you're in love with Krum?"

"Ron, Viktor is – " she cut herself off with a growl, clutching her hair, "You're being ridiculous!"

"I'm being ridiculous?"

"Yes, Ron, you are," Fred stepped up, frowning at him, "She's completely right – you want everybody to pay attention to you, you want everybody to stay the way it was in first year, how nobody knew anybody else except you. Ron, that's not happening, you just have to deal with it."

"You're always sticking up for her! I'm your brother – shouldn't you be on my side?"

"_Not_ if you're making her _cry_, Ron!" he gripped Hermione's shoulders, looking down at her worriedly, "Ron, how many times have you seen Hermione cry? How many times has it been because of you? If you stopped being a berk and thought about what you said, you'd realize that you are hurting her and Harry."

"I am not - !"

"Ron, what did you do when you found out Harry was in the Tournament?" Fred asked, "You were jealous because Harry was in the spotlight again. You were jealous tonight because Hermione was dancing with Krum. I guess that's our fault – Bill, Charlie, Percy and our's. But maybe if you did something rather than being an arse, you'd get a lot more friends. Ron, just _grow up_."

He glared at him before storming up the staircase, leaving Fred with a watery-eyed Hermione, who launched herself at him the second Ron turned away.

"Thank you, Fred," she murmured to him, reaching up to peck his cheek before smiling and walking away, back towards the party.

* * *

><p>"I'm only saying – "<p>

"Ron, that's rubbish."

"But it's just so - !"

"Ron, no."

"But Hermione!"

"_No_, Ronald, I am not naming my baby Grindelhook!" Hermione huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, a bump on her stomach which was currently the topic of their discussions.

"But what about – " he tried again.

"No, I will not name the baby 'Nirvana' either!"

"Isn't that a band?" Fred asked with a grin, hanging upside down from the couch as he watched his brother and wife argue.

"Yes, it is, but I am not naming our baby that," she told him before glaring back at Ron as he pouted, "No, Ron."

"Fine," he sighed, running his hands through his hair as he made his way to the fireplace before stopping, "Wait! What about - ?"

"No," she insisted.

"It's good, honestly, I promise," he grinned, "For real, you'll like it."

She sighed, sharing a glance with Fred as he sat up properly and arched an eyebrow at him.

"Picture this…" She groaned and he shushed her with a glare, although Fred was grinning and pulling her into his lap, "A little girl. Has eyes, a nose, no teeth, possibly bald, possibly with curly hair – because face it, Hermione, your hair has to be genetic."

"I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered to her stomach as Fred chuckled and began to braid her hair back, looking back to his brother as he did so.

"Dana," he said simply, "Dana Weasley."

They blinked, Hermione tilting her head back to look at Fred as they looked at each other curiously before smiling.

"I like it," she smiled back to Ron, "I like it a lot."

"Now what about a middle name?" Fred prompted.

"Nirvana!" Ron beamed.

"Don't push it, Ron!" Hermione glared as her husband chuckled.

* * *

><p><strong>Because I was so mean to Ron I had to make it up to him.<strong>

**Oh my god, why am I writing _crap_ these days? *headwall***

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	39. Waiting On the World to Change

**Hey, umm, did you guys know that I got a car?**

**Yup.**

**Mustang 2012, V6, 22,000 miles on it before I got a hold of it, white with a double black stripe bumper to bumper, and her name is Gracie Lou.**

**Aaaand my dad's currently out in it showing it to his best friend. I actually expected this.**

**Anyway, this chapter is a Harry Potter/Doctor Who crossover. If you already know about Doctor Who, then continue on to the story. (10th) If not, you can either stay here and I'll give you the basics, or you can wait until I think up another chapter idea. **

**_Doctor Who 101_**

**The Doctor is a Time Lord from a planet called Gallifrey, and he stole this machine and left his dying planet. So he's the only Time Lord. This machine is permanently stuck to look like a blue police box, although it used to be able to change shape to blend in with its surroundings, but the circuit that allowed this to happen – the Chameleon Circuit – broke, so now it's just the call box. The Doctor travels around the universes, sometimes on Earth, sometimes on another planet, it just really depends on him or his machine, which we call the TARDIS, which stands for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space." It's bigger on the inside, and very cool. When the Doctor "dies," instead of just dying, he regenerates. So far, there's only eleven regenerations of him, and they're all the Doctor, they just look different and have different personalities and tastes. People who ride around with the Doctor are called "companions," and they come and go or stick around. They all eventually leave though. Other species aren't too fond of the Doctor, such as the Daleks, who only want to kill – "EXTERMINATE" - him. But the Doctor basically protects the Earth and goes on kooky adventures. In this chapter, Hermione, Fred, George and the Doctor meet the Weeping Angels, which are harmless looking angel statues that look like they're crying. But if you look away or blink, they get closer and closer and try to kill you. They can only move if nobody sees them. (Pleasant dreams!)**

**That everything? Great! We're starting off on the 10th Doctor **[because I freaking love David Tennant] **because I like his coat.**

* * *

><p>Fred and George stared up at what used to be their shop. All that stood was the charred frame, a few banners from the second floor still stuck in places and flapping along in an attempt to be merry. Fred rubbed the back of his neck, sighing as he glanced at his twin.<p>

"This is going to be difficult," he said.

"Just leave it, Freddie," George told him, making him blink over at him, "We haven't got the notes, we haven't got the ingredients, we haven't got the money for the ingredients, so just…just leave it, Fred."

"But – " he started before stopping and sighing, "Fine. But now what are we going to do?"

George winced at him, "I – I dunno."

"Pardon me, but I couldn't help but over hear," a man in a trench coat said, smiling brightly as he walked over to the twins, "And I might have a position for you two, that is if you would be willing to leave a few people behind for a period of time."

"I'm fine, but Freddie can't live without Minnie," George smirking, bumping his twin with his hip to make him frown and blush.

"Oh, she can come along too!" he grinned, offering his hand, "I'm the Doctor."

Fred and George glanced between each other before looking at him warily now.

"Fred and George," Fred answered, "And what, exactly, _is_ that position again?"

The Doctor grinned wider, "Just to hang around with me, help me out – you see, I travel a _lot,_ and I get rather lonely some times."

"So you just want a couple of friends?" George blinked, thinking that this man was insane.

"Companions, yes," he nodded, "You can think it over, I'll meet you here tomorrow afternoon!" He then whirled around and sauntered away, making the twins look between each other again.

"We have to talk to Hermione," George said, making Fred nod and the two pop away.

* * *

><p>"He says his name is the Doctor, and he just wants us to hang out with him and travel with him," George wrapped up as Hermione paused in shelving a book.<p>

"The Doctor's back?" Hermione asked with a smile.

"You know him?" Fred blinked.

"He was my only friend when I was younger! I thought he was imaginary up until he leveled with me! He travels around time and space, and saw lonely little me and decided to hang around! He is awfully lonely though…." Hermione trailed off, the gears in her head turning.

"Yes, hello, I'm your boyfriend and I don't want you off around the galaxy!" Fred pouted as she grinned at him and gave a tug on his hair.

"You're just jealous," she smirked before pecking him on the cheek, "I'm in if you two are."

The twins looked between each other warily.

* * *

><p><em>Some Time Later…<em>

"No-no-no-no-no-no!" the Doctor screeched, rushing towards the ginger and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, dragging him back down the hall, "No-no-no!"

"Doctor!" Fred complained, twisting in his hold as he tried to escape, although this was difficult as he was forced to run along behind him, "Doctor, wait, what's going on?"

"I've left Hermione and George with the Angels! They need help!" he yelled back, practically throwing Fred into a wall as they turned a corner.

"What are the Angels?" Fred asked, finally escaping from the mad man's hold, but running along with him all the same.

"My lungs hurt, and my legs ache, so I won't tell you that until we get there!" he snapped as they skidded to a stop at a door, the Doctor flinging it open to see that George and Hermione were staring worriedly at a cluster of statues, most of which had their faces hidden with their hands, although a few were stepped towards them with ghastly expressions towards the two.

"Oh thank Merlin," George winced as Hermione sighed in relief, "My eyes ache."

"Fred, Hermione, stare at the Angels," the Doctor instructed, "George, help me move them."

"What are you doing?" Fred asked as his girlfriend stepped up to him, grabbing his hand as the Doctor took off his coat and flung it aside, he and George stepping up to an Angel and dragging it forward, spinning it around until it was facing the other Angels, going back for another to position it.

"The Angels," the Doctor grunted as he and George moved the second statue, "Have to be the loneliest creatures ever."

"Oh come on, Ron needs that category," Fred grinned when Hermione reached up and smacked him in the shoulder.

"They only move when somebody isn't looking, so they don't socialize often," George offered.

"They spend people back in time, past their own birth, and feed on the energy difference," Hermione gripped Fred's hand tighter, "He's already explain all of this to us."

"So if you ever see a statue when you're alone, _don't blink_," the Doctor concluded.

"You mean every single statue is an Angel?" Fred asked, eyes wide.

"Well, probably not, but it's better to be safe than sorry," he shrugged as he and George slowly made a circle with the Angels. Once they were done, they grinned at each other and proudly stepped back to admire their work.

"It's like an art museum," George grinned.

"By the way, I am never going to one again," Hermione said, making Fred nod as the group slipped out of the room, only to scream at one that stood just out of the doorway, its hands up and its mouth open as if it were going to gobble up the whole group. Fred was gripping Hermione tightly to him, George hiding behind the Doctor with only his eyes peeking out. The Doctor blinked and grinned and shoved it in the middle of their circle of Angels, patting it on the head before he lead them back towards the TARDIS.

* * *

><p><em>Some More Time Later…<em>

"Hullo there, Sweetheart," the man said, smiling down at the little girl, who blinked up at him, "What're you up to?"

The little girl smiled back at him, "I'm playing."

"Do you want somebody to play with?"

"Sure!" she smiled, making him crouch down to help her with the snowball she was trying to make. They started to roll it around in the snow when her older sister turned the corner and screamed, running back for the house and her parents.

Hermione bolted out of the house and stopped, staring at the man playing with her daughter in the snow. He stood and smiled at her, waving at her as she slowly waved back. This man had on a white dress shirt and a bowtie, a jacket as well. His hair was rather wild, just not as wild as it used to be, when she'd known him better.

"Doctor?" she asked curiously as Fred ran outside as well.

"Hermione! Look at you!" he beamed as her husband blinked, "Is this your little girl?"

"Marissa, yeah – Dana just ran in and got us, said some mad man was talking to her little sister," Fred grinned as he stepped closer, "She was right, just not that way."

"Mummy, Mummy, lookit!" Marissa said, proudly showing her mother the snowball she and the Doctor had been working on, "He made it work!"

"He does that sometimes," Hermione smiled down at her daughter, taking the snowball into her bare hands and nodding her towards the house, "Why don't you go inside and tell your sister you're okay, yeah?"

"Okay," she smiled back before hopping along through the snow.

"What generation is this?" Fred asked, gesturing to the Doctor's lack of Converse and trench coat.

"Eleventh," he hummed before stuffing his hands in his pockets and smiling at the two, "I was actually looking for you two to ask if you'd want to ride around with me again after I unceremoniously dumped you back home. I'm guessing the answer is no."

"I'll tell you what," Hermione said, putting the snowball in his hands, "If you come back at the right time, and you can convince her enough, Marissa has my permission to ride around with you."

"Really?" the Doctor and Fred blinked at her.

Hermione smiled at the two, shrugging, "She wants adventure. If she wants it badly enough, I won't deprive her of it."

* * *

><p><em>More Time Later…<em>

Marissa stared down at the cold dirt underneath her boots. Her hands were in her pockets, her red, curly hair blowing around her face, but she sniffed and finally brought her gaze to the stones.

Dana was taking care of Flora, and had offered to take care of the twenty-one year old as well, but she'd refused. Marissa usually hated being alone, but without her parents, she didn't want to meet anyone new.

It'd been a year ago, exactly, that somebody out for revenge had stomped into her family's living room on Christmas day and had taken her parents away. She'd demanded revenge as well, but Dana had told her to let it lie. The man was now sitting in Azkaban, a hollow shell, but Marissa thought that it wasn't enough punishment for him.

A strange sound was heard, making her turn and stare wide-eyed at the glowing light. Was she dying? What had she done to make her dead? Why was there a strange blue box? Was that the doorway?

A man came out of the box, grinning brightly at her as she blinked and recognized him as Snowball Man.

"Marissa! Finally found you!" he said as he stepped out, dusting off his jacket and beaming at her as he sauntered his way towards her. "You have no idea how long it took me to find – oh no." His smile dropped as he stared at the gravestones, his eyes wide as she nodded. "Well that's…that's…." He let out a huff of air, his breath being seen in the cold. "That's rather depressing."

Marissa let out a laugh, a small one, but it was still a laugh. "Yeah. It is."

They stared at the gravestones for a while before he turned to her, tilting his head at her as she looked at him warily, "Do you want to go on adventures with me?"

She smiled and glanced at her parents' gravestones before looking back at him, "I've been waiting to hear you say that." He nodded and headed back to the TARDIS, making her turn back to her parents and smile a little bit more, a warm tear running down her cold face. "You were right, Mum. I always wanted an adventure. And with him, I'm hoping to get more than just one. I love you. Both of you."

"Hey, we haven't got all of time and space to wait on you!" the Doctor grinned from the TARDIS as she turned back and smiled on him, "Allons-y, what do you think we're in? A time machine?"

"I thought it was a time and relative dimension in space?" she teased back as she walked towards him.

"Oho, they've prepped you!" he grinned brighter, "Clever girl!" He turned away, towards the controls, "Where do you feel like going?"

"Anywhere," she answered before turning back to shut the door. She smiled back at the gravestones, "Bye." She shut the door and looked around at the TARDIS, "Yup. Already an adventure."

* * *

><p><strong>Blaaagggh. That was terrible, wasn't it? I killed off Hermione and Fred. Again. I'm awful. But, whatever, I kind of like it. <strong>

**Marissa could come after Amy, or in between little Amy and bigger Amy, or in an entirely different universe. Whichever you Whovians want to believe. **

**I'm thinking about doing some more crossover oneshots, but I don't think I'll be doing too many (as there are so little books I actually tolerate, and I don't watch an awful lot of TV) And I've got a few other plots too, that aren't crossover, I just don't know which one I'd like to do first.**

**Doctor Who belongs to BBC America.**

**Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**Ava Miranda Dakedavra does not want to get sued.**

**Or blamed.**

**At all.**

**For anything.**

**Ev-**

**-er.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	40. We Watch the Seasons

**Okay guys, I'm just…let me have this whole paragraph for an author's note up here and then we'll get to an iddy bitty probably crappy story.**

**We're at chapter _forty-one_. I was only expecting one chapter of this. This is probably the longest story I've ever written, and so when you guys tell me that you like it I feel like I'm on cloud nine. Even if you don't like it or it doesn't make sense and you tell me so, you still read it and took the time to give me your opinion on it. And I'm working on it – I've never said these were amazing, I think half of them are pretty crappy actually, but you've just got to help me out on these. Give me some prompts like "Hey remember when Hades tricked Persephone into marrying him?" or something like that, give me just some cool little everyday _non-copyrighted _things that you think would be a cool Headaches chapter.**

**Also, I found a couple of things when I got bored and searched my pen name. Apparently, someone on Tumblr thought highly enough of this story and _Feet Off!_ to put it in the same post as a couple of Wizards-Pupil's stories! Sweetie, I love you and I want to say thank you for thinking that and posting that, and I'm sorry that I might've scared you with "OH MY GOD YOU WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING LET ME LOVE YOU." Sorry, it had to be said. And I'd recently had sugar so that's a factor too. Thank you.**

**Sorry that I took up so much space, but it needed to be said.**

* * *

><p>"Can I have her?"<p>

"Have who?" Ginny asked, glancing back to find that Fred was on her bed, upside down and looking at the floor in deep thought.

"Hermione. Can I have her?"

Ginny blinked and looked back at her brother before asking warily and skeptically, "Why?"

"I just…want her," he pursed his lips as Ginny looked at him in awe.

"You want to date Hermione?" she asked, a smile growing on her face as she abandoned the task of putting away laundry and crawled onto her bed beside him, on her stomach and looking at him in glee.

"No, I just want her," he pouted at the ceiling now, "I don't want to go through all of the nonsense in dating. I just…want to marry her."

Ginny stared at him before frowning, "Fred, that's absolutely barmy."

"You were all for us dating a moment ago – what's the difference in marrying her?" he asked, glaring a little.

"Fred, you don't have that much of a connection!" Ginny sat on her knees and frowned at him as he sat up halfway as well, "Fred, you don't have months or years of bonding in that romantic way!"

"Whatever," he sighed as he rolled off and landed on his feet, padding towards the door, "You're no help."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Granger, wanna make a bet?" Fred asked, hanging upside down from the tree limb, meeting her face to face and grinning when she blinked.<p>

"What kind of bet, Fred?" she asked warily.

"Well, if I win, you have to marry me," he beamed as she gaped at him.

She quickly fixed her expression with an eye roll and smirked at him, "And if you _lose_?"

"I won't," he smirked back before reaching forward and pecking her on the nose before sitting back on the limb and leaping off, grinning at her.

"What're we making the bet on?" she asked, still underneath the tree.

"If I can keep you," he answered simply.

"Keep me how?" she asked slowly, "There have to be rules."

He sighed, leaning against the trunk, "If I can find some way to magically keep you trapped in the shop…or the loft, don't want to be that mean. I have a week."

She pursed her lips at him before smiling, "Alright. And when I win, we'll figure out what I'll get then."

"Sure, Sweetheart, whatever you say," he chuckled before heading back into the Burrow, leaving Hermione to watch him leave curiously before biting her lip and going back to her book.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Hermione, what're you hiding from?" George asked loudly, making her jump up with a shriek before glaring at him.<p>

"George!" she hissed as he laughed, "That wasn't funny!"

"Well, you're hiding behind the couch with a blanket over your head, so I had to ask," he grinned as she walked out behind the piece of furniture, "Which, you never answered."

"Your twin and I have a bet, and it's nearly over and he hasn't done anything yet," she pouted and crossed her arms over her chest, "I'm worried."

"Wow, you made a bet with him?" he asked with an arched eyebrow, "How stupid were you?"

She only glared at him.

"Oh come on, don't give me that look," he sighed before holding out a fruit, "Mum gave me this, said you might be hungry."

She eyed it before taking it and smiling, going into the kitchen to cut it open. George sat at the table and watched as she split it open over the sink, her hands getting stained as she started to eat the seeds. She stopped and her eyes widened as she felt something that was a little similar to a Portkey begin to drag her away, leaving her just enough time to drop the fruit and whirl around to glare at George before she appeared on the couch in the loft above Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Fred on the other side and smirking at her.

"I win," he grinned as she glared further at him.

"A _pomegranate?_" she hissed as he smiled gleefully at her, "You got me with a ruddy _pomegranate?_"

"I don't see how you didn't see that one coming," he chuckled as she stood and began to pace, "I mean, it was Greek mythology – Hades and Persephone, I thought you'd know that one."

"I do!" she cried, seething at him as he continued to grin, "That's why I'm half mad at myself!"

"Aww, come on, Love, I'm not that bad," he pouted at her, making her stop and arch an eyebrow at him, "I mean, I didn't force you into this bet – this was entirely your option."

She sighed and sat on the arm of a chair, just out of his reach, "Yeah. I know."

"You don't _have_ to marry me," he told her, "I'll settle for a date."

She arched an eyebrow before smirking at him, leaning forward close enough to kiss him before dragging one finger down his cheek and pressing another onto his shirt as he blinked at her. She grinned as he glared at her before giving him a quick peck on the lips and standing to go wash the juice off her hands.

Fred stood and followed her into the kitchen, grabbing a paper towel and getting it wet to scrub at his face, "So is that a no?"

"To which one? Dating or marrying you?"

"Either."

"Ehh," she hummed before smiling, "Both."

"Really?" he asked with a grin as she nodded and smiled back at him.

"How long am I stuck here, anyway?" she asked, frowning at the stains on her fingers.

"How many seeds did you eat?"

"I dunno…quite a few."

"Then you're stuck here quite a few days," he shrugged.

"Wasn't it months in the myth?"

"I'm not that mean, Hermione," he smiled as she laughed, pecking her on the cheek.

* * *

><p><strong>I really like Greek myth, I've read this book by Roger Lancelyn Green about a few thousands times. Even did a PowerPoint on it and made a Medusa game with it for class once. The principal walked out into the lobby where we were playing and asked what was going on. I kind of just waved around at them running around and shrugged, "Book report."<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	41. It'll Be Okay Eventually

**So I'm working on this AU chapter but this snuck up on me and so did this drawing except I can't get a good picture of the drawing so I'm all "ugghhh why can't I have a good scanner" and my picture is all "aww Ava plz" and my scanner is all like "hehehe bitch you ain't gettin' nothin' from me hahaha" and I'm all "scanner stfu nobody lieks you" **

**And then I realize it's nine thirty on a school night so I should make this quick.**

* * *

><p>She couldn't take it. Couldn't see all the Weasleys down at the far end of the once-Great Hall, huddled around the lifeless form. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the ceiling, which still reflected the night sky with the candles still floating. Her lower lip trembled, as all she could see were people she cared about that were gone forever behind her eyelids.<p>

A sudden thought struck her. She remembered running away from home when she was ten. It was night, she was in the woods behind her house, and she was kneeling over to look at her reflection in a small pond. She'd sat there and thought before going back to her house without rhyme or reason. Maybe she knew that it was important to go home. Maybe somebody had told her.

She started whispering under her breath, imagining that she was staring up at the ten year old version of herself, who would be staring blankly down at her through the pond. It got her mind off of everyone else, at least.

"I know it's scary, and I know it's hard," she murmured, "But it'll get harder and it'll get scarier. But it's not all that bad. You have a lot of laughs in the upcoming years. You get to know so much. And…and you'll fall for a guy." Her eyes opened and flickered back at the Weasleys before they shot back to the night sky. "He'll always make you laugh and he'll never make you cry. He'll get on your nerves a bit, but all guys do. He'll barely pass by school but he's a bloody genius. He cares so much about people – and you'll care so much about him. It won't be the person you'd think it would be," she was crying now, shutting her eyes again and whispering, "but you won't figure out you'll love him until he's gone."

There was a joyous shout, making her eyes spring open and watch as George and Molly tackled Fred, a grin popping up on Hermione's face as she gave a watery laugh as he frowned at being squished by his family. She placed a hand to her cheek and smiled at him, still crying she he locked his eyes onto her and blinked. _But he won't be gone, actually – but you'll think he left, and you'll be so bloody glad that he's alright that you'll start crying harder._

Fred began to wiggle out of Molly and George's grasp, popping up with a wince and jogging over to Hermione.

_He's going to run up to you and grab your head and look your face over to make sure you aren't hurt that bad, and you'll keep crying and he'll think he's hurting you. He'll step back, still looking concerned, and you're going to wrap your arms around his chest and hug him and continue to cry, but you're going to laugh too and tell him how scared you were through the whole ordeal. He'll nod and run his hands through your hair and hug you back, agreeing fully with you for probably the first time that you know about._

"I'm so glad you're okay, Hermione," Fred said, burying his face in her hair.

Hermione gripped his shirt tighter and shut her eyes, trying to get the improbable double meaning out of her head as she tried to tell herself that _no_, that wasn't a kiss on the top of her head. She internally sighed and groaned.

_And then the real torture will begin._

* * *

><p><strong>Part one of however many I feel like doing. Uploading this because it's been ages since I've uploaded anything I felt like I needed to let you guys know that I won't give up.<strong>

**In fact I'm never gonna give this up, never gonna let this down, never gonna run around and desert it. Never gonna make it cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie and hurt it.**

**Yup, you just go Rick Roll'd. I love you guys! **

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	42. Mini Fred

**Sorry – honestly, I couldn't find anything in that last one that was that sad, but apparently it was sad enough! In the words of one of my favorite Avengers – "I'm sorry, that was mean." **

* * *

><p><em>Listen up, Mini Me. You're going to grow up. I know how much you'll hate the very idea of it, but it's not all that bad. I mean, yeah, okay, you have to deal with this nasty teacher and you have to build a business from the ground up and George loses an ear and you nearly die, but it's not all that bad. You meet a girl!<em>

_…No, no, don't go 'eww.' She's brilliant. She's smart, funny, sarcastic, nice, gorgeous. You'll love her. Heh, actually, you really will though. You'll fall so hard for her. Stop making that face, I'm you, remember? You are going to get this sappy when you get older. _

_But she'll move into the same flat as you and George after the war. And she'll sing and dance around the kitchen when she cooks, and she'll sometimes drag you or George into dancing or singing with her. And it's the only time you've seen her loosen up until later on. And you're going to make fun of when she pretends to play the tambourine on her hip, but she'll make fun of you when you play the guitar in the air – oh yeah, by the way, we pick up the guitar, but she doesn't know that yet – and George is just going to stare between the two of you and squint and you won't be able to tell what he's thinking for once. _

_You're going to figure out you love her during work. You are going to charge a customer way too much and they and George and Lee are going to yell at you. And she's going to come downstairs, looking at everybody like they're nuts before they explain everything to her and she's going to roll her eyes and go back upstairs to…do what she does. (She has some job where she doesn't go to an office or anywhere – I dunno.)_

_Point is, you're going to love her like mad. But you can't tell anyone – not even George, as George would probably tell her and then it'd be awkward and then she'd feel compelled to move out and we can't have that because then there wouldn't be anybody singing when you woke up and you'd be kind of upset because you got used to it and you don't want to think about what happens if she gets a boyfriend or if she and that boyfriend get serious and get married and then what happens to you, you big sap, where do you fit in anywhere and –_

_Point is, it's going to _suck.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow two in a row how'd that happen?<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	43. Are You Taking Notes?

**Wow suddenly I have a lot of ideas for this story and none of them are for the chapter I have to work on. **

**Isn't this ironic? Although I don't think ironic would be the right word.**

* * *

><p><em>Hey, uhh, Mini Me. Yeah – remember that girl we talked about before? That brilliant one, that we fall head over heels for? Well, you're going to ask her out – stop with the face, I'm you, remember, we've been over this – and she's going to say yes. And you'll have three years of being this lovey dovey couple and it'll be great – except for that time that Seamus cut her hair extremely short, that was terrible, because she was crying and attempting to kill him at the same time and I didn't really know what to do because you <em>do not_ try to stop her, she's brought down Death Eaters and you really don't want to know what they had to go through. _

_Anyway, you'll date her for three years. It'll be great for everybody except Seamus, but he deserved it. _

_Now, see, the problem is you're going to want to marry her. Why is this a problem, you may ask through your wrinkled nose and narrowed eyes as your tongue hangs out in a look of disgust? This is a problem because Hermi – _this girl _– reads a lot. She's read about anything and everything there is that's worth reading. This is why she's brilliant. But this is also why proposing to her would be difficult. She'd catch practically everything that could possibly tip her off. _

_And this is a problem because you somehow become a sap and so you'll really want to marry her and you can't just walk up to her like when you asked her out and say "oh hey will you marry me" and have her expect to take you seriously._

_So now we have a dilemma. Well, I do anyway. You will later on. I'll tell you how it goes later – take notes, Mini Me, you'll need them._

* * *

><p><strong>Why more Fred? Because it's Fred, that's why. (I haven't actually written about Fred and I while and I've just remembered how much I love writing about him and especially from his viewpoint.)<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	44. So Stupid

**Do I really need a beginning author's note or…?**

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><p><em>Listen to me very carefully now, alright? You are going to be so stupid. So so so so stupid. <em>

_So you remember what I said about meeting a guy and not being the guy you'd expect and blah-blah-blah? You're going to date him for three years. It's going to be amazing – except Seamus will cut your hair and you'll freak out, but that's not important – he'll be there and that'll be what's amazing. _

_You're going to be so stupid. Incredibly stupid. Ugh. Even now I can't believe how stupid I was. _

_He's going to ask you how you see your life going in three years. You say you'll probably finish a book or two, but nothing bigger than that – although you want to grab this man's face and stare into his eyes and order him to marry you, but your – _our_ – mother would have a fit and grandmother would pop up out of her grave to smack you upside the head. And he'll get extremely quiet after you say this and say "oh."_

_Incredibly stupid mistake number one._

_After a week or two, he'll start to get quieter and quieter, which is a huge great big warning bell because he's hardly ever quiet. You're going to ask his twin – I mean, wait, shit, is that too much information to tell you? Hell, I just said 'shit' to my younger self. Yup, Ron has ruined me. Wait, whoa, was _that_ too much? Okay, you know what, you probably aren't even listening anyway, because if you were you'd be able to figure it all out really quickly, but whatever. Anyway, you're going to ask his twin what's wrong with him and he won't know, and you're going to be really worried about him._

_One day, you're going to ask him what's wrong and he's going to look at you blankly and you're going to huff and roll your eyes and tell him he's been distant and you're extremely worried. He's going to start to grin and he'll arch an eyebrow up at you because you're standing in front of him on the couch. He'll ask why you're so worried and you'll frown and say that you love him, that's why, duh, we've been over this._

_Stupid mistake number two, but he'll say it was extremely adorable, so it's double sided. _

_He'll laugh and yank you down into his lap and wrap his arms around you because you're both going to become incredibly sappy and mushy together and your friends are going to hate it/you but that's not important. He'll apologize and you'll have to tilt your head to look up at him and he'll be smiling. He'll then ask how many books you've read and you'll settling with telling him 'a lot.' He'll grin wider but keep asking questions as you sit in the seat next to him with your legs over his legs, still leaning into him. He'll ask what kind of books you've read and you'll answer that it's mostly fact and little fiction. He'll ask about romance novels, how many have you read about them? You'll answer not many, maybe two and it was by force. _

_This should be setting off huge, flashy red lights and 'awoo-gah' noises and 'WARNING, WARNING, WARNING' blaring in your head, but no, you just sit there. _

_He'll grin wider, peck your cheek, and take your legs off of his and walk out of the room. You'll be incredibly confused until he comes back with something behind his back, still grinning madly. He'll tell you how much he loves you and how crazy he can't believe he is about you. And you're going to sit there staring at him, about ready to stand up for whatever reason you might have to, and he's going to be grinning the entire time, even when he gets down on one knee and holds out a ring and as your body loses all feeling because oh god Hermione you're such an_ idiot _and he'll ask you to marry him and you'll try not to cry because why in the world would you want to cry? But you're going to cry anyway and he's going to lose the grin and set the ring on the coffee table and jump up and hold you, rocking you back and forth and looking worried and he'll think you won't want to marry him but this crazy, silly man doesn't know that you're crying for not knowing that this crazy, silly man wanted to marry you too._

"You awake?"

Hermione looked up from her hands and across the small gap between them to see that Fred was shoving his arm under his pillow, trying to wake up enough to hear her response, but he already had a little smile on his face.

"Yeah," she whispered back.

He hummed and his eyes shut once before he forced them open again, "What're you thinking about?"

"How stupid I was," she said for the umpteenth time with a frown, making him give a sleepy chuckle, "Actually, I was mentally giving my younger self tips. I don't think I listened."

He blinked, "You do that too? Geez, why didn't we listen when we were younger?"

She gave a laugh and allowed him to fling his free arm around her waist and drag her even closer, smiling against her forehead as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

"I love you, Hermione," he muttered.

"I love you too, Fred," she smiled as he started to fall asleep again.

"By the way, you aren't stupid – I'm sneaky," he murmured as she began to sleep. She gave a weak laugh before they both finally fell asleep.

* * *

><p>"Hey Hermione, have a nice nap?" Hermione's neighbor asked the five year old as she walked into her living room, rubbing her eyes as her mother picked her up and put her on her lap.<p>

"Mmyeah," she yawned before turning to her mother, "Mummy, am I stupid?"

"What?" she blinked back, "Why would you be stupid?"

"I had a dream, and I kept saying I was stupid," she frowned into space, trying to remember, "It was about some man…."

"Can't remember?" her neighbor asked after a few moments of staring into the air, "I hate when that happens."

"But I wanna know," she pouted.

"Don't worry, Dear, it might come back to you later on," her mother reassured.

* * *

><p>"Mum, do you think I'm sappy?" Fred asked his mother, making her blink and turn to him, away from cooking lunch. Even George looked at him funny.<p>

"No, why do you say that?" Molly asked.

"I had a dream last night that I was really sappy," he wrinkled his nose, "It was about some girl."

Molly lit up and George looked at his brother, frowning dully and shaking his head as if he couldn't believe he really just told their mother that.

"Oh really?" she asked, "Who?"

He shrugged, "I dunno. Just some girl – but she's supposed to be brilliant."

"Well she's got to be to get you to turn into some sap," George grinned at his twin before bumping his shoulder, "C'mon, let's go play Exploding Snap."

"Alright," Fred nodded.

* * *

><p>"Did you see how Granger punched Malfoy?" Fred asked excitedly as he and George watched from the window, following the progress of the three as they made their way towards Hagrid's hut, "She's bloody brilliant!"<p>

George blinked and turned away from the window to stare at Fred, the memory of when they were seven resurfacing, "She's…brilliant?"

"Yeah, really brilliant!" he repeated, still watching them walk.

"Oh really?" he asked, starting to grin at his brother as he realized that it was all starting to fall into place.

Fred looked at George and immediately frowned, arching an eyebrow, "What's with the face?"

"Oh, nothing," he lied with a grin, "Wanna play Exploding Snap?"

"Ehh, sure, better than homework," he shrugged.

* * *

><p><strong>Did everybody follow that timeline or not? Starts off Hermione talking to herself, then talking to Fred in present time, then we go back however many years to when Hermione is five and had a nap, then that same day but Fred didn't get up until like noon because it's Fred and then we go to Hermione's third and Fred's fifth year and George is the only one who kinda sorta knows what's up.<strong>

**Did you guys know that I get weirder after 10 PM, there's a study on Tumblr called my text posts. **

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	45. Picking Favorites

**I've started reading _The Boy in the Striped Pajamas_ and I already know how it ends because my friends are jerks but aauuuggghhhh.**

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><p>Teddy knew this woman. He'd seen her a handful amount of times that he could remember. He remembered her coming over and bringing things for his grandmother and slipping him a treat and placing a finger to her smiling lips and winking at him. He remembered her pecking his Uncle Harry on the cheek and making him swear that he would be good before she quickly left. But he couldn't remember this woman's name fully, couldn't remember how she fit into his family.<p>

Teddy Lupin had a lot of uncles. Some of his uncles looked somewhat alike and some of them looked completely different from the other uncles and then he had some that looked exactly alike. He also had a lot of aunts to go with those uncles, only it was rather reversed there. Only one aunt looked similar to his uncles and the rest were very, very different.

Teddy had a tall, blonde aunt that said things funny sometimes, and she had a daughter that was Teddy's age, but Teddy didn't like bothering with the girl. He was thankful he wasn't really related to her. Then he had another aunt that had short black hair and she'd pick fun at his uncle that had glasses but she'd kiss his cheek to say she was sorry when he got too upset. Then there was Aunt Angelina, who'd gone over Quidditch tactics with him at one point, and Aunt Luna who would tell him about crazy creatures, and Aunt Ginny who would kiss his Uncle Harry on the cheek too, but this would confuse him because that nameless woman did too and he just couldn't figure that out. And Aunt Lavender, he didn't like her, she talked to him with baby talk. In fact, a lot of them weren't even related to the Weasleys, but he couldn't figure out why he felt compelled to call these women his aunts.

"Uncle Fred," Teddy began, tugging on one of his favorite uncle's shirt sleeves and frowning as he turned and looked at him curiously.

"Yeah, Tedster?" he asked after he finished chewing, arching an eyebrow.

"Okay, there's this lady and she sometimes but not too often comes and gives Gram stuff and she sometimes gives me treats but makes sure Gram doesn't know because she'll say that she didn't have to do that and might make me give it back, and then she sometimes but not too often kisses Uncle Harry on the cheek," Teddy said in a rush, "Who _is_ she?"

"Yeah, who?" Ginny echoed, looking at her husband with a frown.

Harry chewed thoughtfully, his fork still somewhat in his mouth as he looked curiously at Fred, who shared the look as George picked the last bit of lettuce out of Victoire's hair. "The only people I know who do that are Ginny and…oh!" He chuckled and grinned over at Teddy the same time Fred did. "Hermione – she can't come over much because of her job."

"What does she do?" Teddy questioned.

"Well, it switches," Ron answered, "She works in the Department of Mysteries sometimes and then other times she's dealing with quarrels at Azkaban."

"Azkaban?" Teddy asked, not knowing what that really was.

"It's a wizarding prison," Victoire answered, making Teddy wrinkle his nose at her and frown dully as she continued, "They suck the happiness out of you."

"Then why would she work there?" he asked.

"She does it to make sure people are safe," Fred answered, "If those bad guys got out, what do you think they'd do? She keeps them in when the dementors can't."

"Dementors can't hold some people in?" Teddy asked frightfully.

"There are some people even the dementors are afraid of, Teddy," Arthur answered from the head of the table, the adults' faces clouding over as Teddy absorbed this information.

The sad feeling settling over everyone had just began to pass when Teddy spoke again, "She must be very brave then."

Fred grinned very wide at that and mussed up Teddy's hair, as he was the only one who Teddy let do that, "She really is, Teddy."

"I want to meet her," he said very seriously.

People seemed to glance at Fred before he nodded, "Alright, Teddy, we'll try to set it up."

* * *

><p>Teddy huddled in closer to his Uncle Fred's chest, changing his hair color to match the shirt he was wearing, so maybe the dementors wouldn't notice him.<p>

Fred noticed this and looked at him worriedly in his arms, "You sure you want to go in? We can get her to come out."

"No," Teddy remained stubborn, "If she's brave enough to work there, I can certainly be brave enough to visit there."

"You don't have to, Teddy, part of being brave is admitting when you're scared," Fred muttered.

"Great, 'cause I'm scared but I'm going in there," he insisted.

Fred grinned and laughed, nodding and walking him in through the hall in the office, nodding to one of the secretaries as he passed by a room with a window, going in an elevator up to the top, where they were met by the woman.

She had curly brown hair that was flying everywhere, her eyes were brown, but sparkly, which Teddy didn't know could happen, and she was smiling even when prisoners were calling her foul names that should've gotten them in the Time Out Corner with a bar of soap in their mouths.

"Hey, boys," she said, silencing the men with a flick of her wand, "Thanks for visiting me – not a lot of friendly faces in here."

"No problem, Hermione," Fred said before bouncing Teddy a little, who had tried to bury his face in Fred's chest again, this time out of being shy. "You remember Teddy?"

"Oh, of course I do," she smiled as he reluctantly pulled his face up, "Hullo, Sweetheart, you've gotten big. Been eating your vegetables?"

He wrinkled his nose, "Eww."

"Hah, exactly," she laughed, grinning brightly, which for some reason made Fred grin too, "Hated eating my vegetables when I was a kid. Why do you think I always bring over a sweet for you?"

"Thank you, by the way," he said, "You don't have to."

She shrugged, still smiling, "Consider it a prize for being good for your gran."

"Okay," he grinned.

"How 'bout you two let me go get my coat and we'll go eat lunch?" she asked, "Here's not really a happy place for meeting family. I'd have suggested it if _somebody_ – " she looked pointedly at Fred " – had owled me beforehand and not had security tell me that they'd be arriving."

Fred only grinned cheekily at her, "Love you."

"Can I come with you?" Teddy asked before quickly adding, "Please?"

Hermione blinked before smiling, "Sure, c'mon."

Fred set Teddy down on his feet and said he'd wait by the lift as the five year old grabbed Hermione's hand and walked with her past the nasty men.

"Why do you work here?" he asked after a few moments.

"Because I'm the only one they're scared of," she smirked back, making Teddy grin. They stopped inside her office and she grabbed her jacket, shrugging it on before taking Teddy's hand again. As she stepped out and closed the door, somebody grabbed Teddy's arm and he screamed, as they had a rather hard grip on it.

Hermione immediately brought her leg down on the man's arm, twisting so that she could pick up Teddy before setting him down by her office door and grabbing the man's shirt through the bars and towing him up close enough so that he slammed against the metal.

"Don't touch him," she growled as Fred ran down the hallway, easing past Hermione silently and picking up Teddy, as he was refusing to cry.

"Who's gonna make me, Mudblood?" he questioned.

Hermione rolled her eyes and shoved the man back into his cell by his face, "Honestly, Greyback, don't you think you could come up with something new? I mean, you've got all that free time on your hands."

He opened his mouth to bark out an obscenity, but Hermione waved the word dully away with a flick of her wand, instead turning to Teddy worriedly.

"Are you alright?" she asked, checking his arm and glaring when she found red marks in the shape of fingers and a palm.

"You're so totally wicked," Teddy breathed, making her and Fred both blink before he remembered to answer her, "I'm fine."

Hermione smiled and pecked the five year old on his head, "I think you're pretty wicked too, Teddy. You're extremely brave."

"I am, aren't I?" he admired himself as he was carried down the hallway, back towards the lift.

They went to a Muggle restaurant for lunch, where Fred had to stand up to call George back on the tele-thingy, leaving Teddy and Hermione to eat their food and think.

Teddy finally asked a question, "Are you another aunt?"

Hermione blinked up at him, "Err…based on technicality or…what?"

"What?" he asked blankly, wondering what she meant.

"Well, I'm married to one of your uncles, so…yeah, I think I'd be another aunt," she shrugged.

"Which one?" he asked, sitting up straighter in his seat. This was entirely brand new information that shouldn't have even been held from him in the first place.

"Guess," she grinned back.

Teddy pouted, "If you're married to one of my uncles, how come you don't come over enough?"

She winced and rubbed her neck, "Because, with my jobs, I get injured a lot. Some of my injuries are too bothersome to cover up, and I don't want the Weasleys and everyone to worry, so I stay home and do paperwork and try to get it to heal faster so I can visit. I get hurt a lot."

"Oh," he realized this was a reasonable excuse, "How many tries do I get?"

"Let's say three," she smiled, setting her chin in her hand.

"Uhmm…Uncle Harry?"

She lifted an amused eyebrow, "Why do you say that?"

"I remember you kissing him on the cheek sometimes," he shrugged.

"It's habit – I feel more like his mum or an obscenely older sister than his friend," she shrugged, "Harry's actually really immature."

Teddy grinned wider, remembering the other day when Harry had thrown him up in the air and roared like a dragon, "I know. Umm…Uncle George?"

"You're getting warmer," she teased.

He opened his mouth to say more when Fred came back, effectively ruining their guessing game by asking Hermione what they could do to make pixie dust work. She responded back by saying 'faith and trust,' which stumped the two and made her explain.

* * *

><p>"Aww, look at the little man, you two wore him out," Ginny cooed softly as Teddy was brought in on Hermione's hip, his hair curly and brown and his irises a sparkly brown, which he didn't know was possible until he really met Hermione.<p>

"Poor thing, didn't get to know who I was married to," Hermione said, swaying back and forth gently. "Fred, I want one."

He arched an eyebrow and smiled tiredly at his wife, worn out by their day as well, "You want a Teddy Lupin?"

"Well, I'd like this one, but I'd settle for our own," she smiled back.

"D'you think being an Unspeakable, let alone a warden at Azkaban too, would be a good occupation for a pregnant woman?" Harry questioned quietly.

Hermione stuck her tongue out childishly at him, "I'm resigning in a week."

"Now, see, we'd know that if you'd come to dinners," Harry muttered before grinning as she frowned, "What're you getting into after that?"

"Bookstore," Fred answered for her, "She's going store-hunting after that week."

"Teddy'll love that," Andromeda smiled fondly at her grandson, "He loves books."

"Probably gets it from his dad," Harry whispered.

"Heavens knows Dora would never pick up a book on her own free will," she chuckled.

"I think we need to get him to bed," Ginny said.

Hermione sighed and allowed Andromeda to pull him out of her arms, "Night, Teddy."

"G'night Aunty," he muttered sleepily, smiling a little as he opened his eyes a crack, "Fred?"

"Yeah?" he asked until he saw Hermione nodding and smiling.

"Makes sense - you're my favorite aunt, he's my favorite uncle," he muttered before Andromeda smiled and Apparated them away.

"Wait a second – how is Fred his favorite?" Harry asked loudly after a few moments, making the redhead stick his tongue out as Hermione laughed.

"I knew he'd love Hermione, it was only logical," Ginny smiled.

"I feel so happy about it for some reason," she smiled.

"You should, it's a very big honor," Fred smiled before pecking her temple, making her smile a little bit wider.

* * *

><p><strong>Ta-da! Ummm…hope you liked it, thank you for reviewing the other chapters, I'm sorry all of this has taken so long, and thank you to a 'Flamestarter' – thank you for backing me up, Sweetie, that's very nice of you. <strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	46. Embrasser?

**Salut mes amours! Comment avez-vous eu depuis que je suis te parler? Êtes-vous prêt pour un chapitre français-remplie? La mère de mon ami est un professeur de français, mais je ne suis pas très bon en français (encore) et j'ai donc dû aller à un traducteur en ligne (comme vous le faites en ce moment Ne vous allongez pas - Sauf si vous êtes effectivement très couramment le français.) Quoi qu'il en soit, il n'est pas entièrement en français, donc ne vous inquiétez pas.**

* * *

><p>"Ah, bay, say, day, uh, effe, gee – "<p>

"No, you say that like 'j,'" she corrected.

Her pupil scrunched up their nose, "Then how do you say 'j'?"

"Like 'g,'" she answered.

There was a long pause before they shoved the book away, "Okay, let's try something I can actually understand."

"Alright," she smirked and sat down next to them, "Tell me what your name is, then."

"Uhh…je m'appelle Fred?" Fred asked, uncertain if he was saying it correctly. At Hermione's smile, he grinned back.

"And then ask how old I am," she prompted.

"Uhh…tu as quel âge?"

"Oui, pas mal," she smiled as he stared blankly at her, "Not bad. But it's not like 'quell' – they say their 'q's like 'k's."

"No, no, no more alphabet," he shook his head, "They switch things around on me."

"Numbers?"

"No," he frowned.

"Well what else do you want to do?" she frowned back, crossing her arms over her chest.

He grinned and leaned his head back on her lap, "Embrasser?"

She snorted and looked at him in disbelief, "Where did you learn that one?"

"Ouais, je suis en fait assez couramment le français. Fleur marié à mon frère et tout. Ta-da!" he grinned brightly at her.

"If you're fluent in French, why did you ask me to teach you?" she asked.

"Duh, I wanted to kiss you," he snorted, rolling his eyes and sitting up, "I asked you to teach me how to French kiss. You didn't hear me say the last bit."

"If that was all, why would you pretend you didn't know anything?"

"I know how to _say_ it – I can't read it or write it or anything," he rolled his eyes, "Honestly, Granger – "

"It's Weasley," she corrected him with a smirk, "You should know _that_."

"Well, yeah, I mean we are married," he smirked back, "So…embrasser?"

"You're a prat," she chuckled before kissing him.

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><p><strong>'Embrasser' means (according to Google translate) 'kissing,' and Fred said 'Yeah, I'm actually pretty fluent in French. Fleur married to my brother and everything. Ta-da!'<strong>

**'Tu as quel âge' is 'how old are you' – if you want to ask how old he/she is you just say 'il/elle as quel âge' (Il as in 'eel' and elle as in 'elle' – and it's not as it's 'ah') and je m'appelle is actually "I call myself [insert name here]"**

**This chapter of Headaches has been educational!**

**Eww, education.**

**À tout à l'heure! (See you later or bye or something like that!)**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	47. You'll Be Okay

**AU that I don't really know where it's going! Yay!**

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><p>"Ugh, Katie!"<p>

"Bonzai!" she crowed, rushing down the stairs and back up the boys' staircase. She pounced on the nearest bed, which housed George, making him cough as she plopped on his stomach.

Hermione rushed in after her friend, hands on her hips as she frowned. Katie smirked as George finally noticed the difference in their friend's appearance, snorting and laughing loudly. Fred groaned and shoved his head under the pillow, waving the disturbances away as Lee sat up and stared at her blankly before it finally clicked.

"You look like a Weasley!" he said in delight.

"What?" Fred asked sleepily, blinking as he took in the abundance of red curls. He took a moment before snorting, rolling his eyes, "Nah, ours are more orange. But, good color."

"Katie Bell, you change it back right now!" she demanded.

"Nah, I like it like that," she giggled. "You should finish Hogwarts out like that, Hermione!"

"Hah, no, I could barely stand the color it usually was, now change it back," she glared.

"Hmm," she hummed, tapping her wand to her smug lips, "I don't think so."

"Katie Bell!" she yelled.

"Come off it, Hermione," she stood on the bed, rolling her eyes, "I've known you for seven years. You love me and you know it."

"Clap your hands," Lee prompted, the two awake boys clapping twice as Fred snorted against his pillow, his eyes watching them in amusement.

"My hair isn't anything to be poking fun at, Katie," she frowned, shaking the red curls.

"But it's pretty!" she pouted, slumping on the bed.

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes, "Get up anyway, guys, we've got a busy day."

"Ugh," the three groaned at her.

"I don't want to deal with whatever Menstrual Decree Umbitch has made today," Katie frowned as she stood.

Fred snorted before laughing, sitting up and grinning at her, "That one was brilliant."

"Thank you," she grinned, "Hermione said it in her sleep once."

The three boys gaped at the girl who was slowly matching her new hair.

"Katie!" she crowed, glaring at her.

"Did I say that out loud?" she smirked, twirling her wand before she turned and waved to the boys, "See you at breakfast."

Hermione winced before following her out, the three boys blinking at each other before they began to laugh.

* * *

><p>Hermione was frowning at the book in her lap, a piece of toast in her mouth as she fiddled with her wand.<p>

"Aww, are you changing it?" Katie asked, pouting as she walked up with the boys, "I like it like that!"

"Nice hair, Hermione," Harry grinned as he passed, making her swat at him angrily as Fred and Lee sat down on either side of her, grinning at her as the black haired boy laughed and dodged her.

"Miss Granger," Umbridge chirped as she strode up to the girl, "Please refrain from changing your hair to ridiculous colors in the Great Hall, as they're against Decree Number five hundred and seventy-three and terribly distracting."

She blinked up at her before swallowing the toast and grinning sweetly at her, "Don't worry, I'm about to change it to a much less ridiculous color." She cleared her throat and tapped her finger to the page, twisting a curl around on her wand. The Great Hall suddenly erupted into laughter, the small group around her repressing their laughs as Hermione played happily with her new blue curls.

"Miss Granger, you have detention in my office tonight," Umbridge clipped.

Fred stopped laughing immediately, jumping up and facing her, "No!"

The Hall quieted down and stared at him as Umbridge raised an eyebrow.

"No?" she repeated, "And give me one good reason why not."

Hermione stood by Fred's side, looking at him worriedly, "Fred?"

He glanced down at her before back at Umbridge, "We need a minute." He grabbed her arm and towed her out of the Hall, gripping her shoulders and looking down at her seriously, "You've taken your N.E.W.T.s, right?"

"What?" she blinked, "Yes, of course I have, I took them with you. Fred, what's wrong?"

"George and I are skipping out on the rest of the year – Hermione, you have to come with us _today_," he insisted.

"Fred, her detentions can't be that bad," she arched an eyebrow, "Right? I mean, you've had about fifty for other students."

He winced and flexed his hand, a movement which she caught and leaned forward to try to see, except he gripped her shoulders again, "Hermione, tell me right now whether you're coming with us or not."

"Fred, I can't leave Harry so suddenly," she said.

"He'll understand," he thought back to when he and Harry had had a detention together. "Believe me, Hermione, he'll find some way to get you out of that detention if I don't."

She stared up at him before frowning more, "If I go, will you tell me what's so wrong with her detentions?"

"I'll tell you everything you want to know," he said, beginning to grin before pecking her head, "Go pack, it's about to get busy."

He jogged back into the Hall, striding up to Umbridge and looking disappointed, although inside he was cheering for his accomplishment. "She won't listen – she'll go." He sat down with a dramatic sigh, which Umbridge missed, but made Harry and George smile at each other in relief.

* * *

><p>"Is Hermione alright?" Remus asked, watching as the girl dashed into Grimmauld Place.<p>

"Err – yeah," Fred chuckled, "We might've gone a little too fast."

"And she might've gotten a little bit sick," George laughed as well, holding his broom.

"How'd dropping out go?" Sirius asked.

"With a bang, as planned," Fred grinned, setting his broom aside.

"Are you planning to stay here or face your mother?" Remus asked, picking up a book and shelving it.

"Oh, we're going straight to the shop, actually," George answered, "Hermione just went, like, really white."

"She hates heights," Fred explained.

"I hate you, Weasleys," Hermione frowned from the staircase, "'Lo Sirius, Remus."

"Hi Hermione," Remus responded.

"How's the Ol' Toad?" Sirius asked.

"Trying to figure out how to get rid of the Whizbangs," George beamed, "You should've been there – we had this dragon out of fireworks come flying at her! It was brilliant."

"I think there'll be something about it in the Prophet," Remus grinned, "But it sounds fun. I'm actually surprised you went along with it, Hermione."

Hermione fixed her narrowed eyes onto Fred, who in turn glared at Remus.

"What'd you have to go and remind her for?" he asked.

"Fred, tell me!" she pouted as she walked up to him.

He groaned, rubbing his eyes and plopping into a chair, "Promise not to freak out?"

"Promise," she nodded, sitting on the edge of the couch closest to him.

"Liar," George whispered behind her back, but she either didn't hear or ignored him, Sirius and Remus grinning over at him.

"Umbridge had a quill that cut open our skin and wrote with our blood, the words that we had to write appearing on our hands," he hesitated at the sleeve of his jumper before his eyes narrowed at her, "Remember, you promised."

"Right, right, of course," she said distractedly, standing and looking at his hand.

He sighed and pulled the sleeve back, making her grab his forearm and glare at the words on his wrist.

"Oh, I'm going to kill her," she muttered under her breath, smoothing her thumb over the words 'I have no future.'

He shrugged, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"How could she get away with that?" she asked, dropping his hand, "This is mad, this is insane, she – "

"You promised you wouldn't freak out!" he reminded her with a frown.

"Well, Fred, what do you expect me to do?" she asked, "I find out my best friends have been getting tortured every night and I didn't notice!"

"Hermione, we hid it really well," George reminded her sympathetically, "We didn't want you to know because of what you'd do."

"Come here," Fred stood, grabbing her arm and towing her in to hug her. She pouted and tried to stay where she was, but one sharp tug towed her into him. "I've known you for seven years. All of us knew that you'd stand up to her and probably get in trouble with the Ministry."

"It's wrong," she muffled into his shirt.

"We know that, Hermione, that's why we took them for younger kids," George explained.

She pulled her face out of Fred's shirt and looked between the two, "Oh, you two are sweethearts."

George stiffened and frowned at her, "I prefer the term 'macho savior of all,' thank you."

Hermione got an evil grin and walked up to George, "Aww, but Georgie, you're such a softie."

"Stop it," he glared as Fred, Remus and Sirius began to grin.

"You're so sweet and adorable," she cooed, her hands on either side of his face as he shook his head at her. "Such a sweetheart."

"I hate you," he said, still glaring at her, although he was attempting not to grin as well.

"I love you too," she grinned before pecking him on the nose, making him wrinkle it and rub at it with his sleeve. "You're the best big brother in the world."

"Yeah, yeah," he said dismissively, still rubbing his nose. "Freddie, why are we friends with girls?"

"Why?" Sirius spoke up, "Afraid of catching cooties, George?"

"Hah, no, afraid of Mum thinking we're dating every single one of them," he answered before shooting another glare to Hermione. "Like I could stand to date _her_, little Miss Know-it-all."

"Oh come on, George," Fred said, placing his hands on Hermione's shoulders from behind her and grinning at his twin, "Hermione's not all bad."

"Then you date her, let Mum have a fit over you two," he waved his hand at them.

"I think that your Mum is going to have a fit no matter what happens," Remus said as Fred glared at his twin, who was trying to apologize nonverbally. "You two convinced Hermione to drop out of Hogwarts with you."

"Hermione is not one to easily convince," Fred reminded him, "Believe me, I know, I've tried."

"But he does have a point," Hermione pointed out, "It might be best to leave before your mother gets word."

"Err, right," the twins said, George reaching for his broom.

"No, no, no," Hermione stopped him, "I want to Apparate."

"Aww," George teased, "But flying's so much fun."

"I'm Apparating with or without you," she insisted.

The boys sighed and rolled their eyes simultaneously, although Fred was grinning at her.

* * *

><p>"Granger…oy, Granger, wake up, we have shit to get done."<p>

"Screw off, George," she muffled.

"C'mon, wake up," he frowned as Fred stuck his head in to the room, looking at them curiously.

"Hey, Hermione, we've got a whole box full of new books," Fred called, getting her to raise her head up and blink at him as she stretched her arms out over the pillow on the short bed.

"Be there in a minute," she said as she stretched out her legs and back as well.

George glared at her before scoffing, shaking his head at his twin in disbelief, "Honestly, this girl is barmy, how've we been friends with her for years?"

"Dunno," he shrugged as she finally came into the living room, sitting on a box and propping her chin up as she threatened to fall asleep again. "Hey, Hermione, stay awake."

She whimpered and hid her face with her fingers, "Can't. Sleepy."

Fred rolled his eyes and grinned at her, "If you fall asleep you can't read."

"This is the greatest problem I have ever faced in my entire life," she muffled.

As she thought about it, George leaned closer to Fred and whispered, "Does she know her hair is still blue?"

"No, I'm waiting for when she does know," he whispered back gleefully.

* * *

><p>"This place is brilliant!" Harry said, grinning madly at the brightly colored store.<p>

"Thanks!" three voices answered, making him look up and blink to find that Fred and George were at the top of the staircase, grinning down at him from the banister as Hermione perched on top of the railing. When Harry grinned wider, Hermione slipped down to him and hugged him tightly.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so happy to see you," she said, giving his shoulders a squeeze as she stepped back to see his face. "Merlin, you're taller than me. I swear, when I left you were still the size you were in your first year."

"I've grown in between then, thank you," he grinned back before hugging her again, "I missed you."

"Oh, I missed you like you have no idea," she muttered, "How'd the D.A go without me?"

"Terrible," he sighed, pulling back with a sigh, "Umbridge caught us and we nearly got suspended or expelled, but – ahh, Grawp and the centaurs helped us out."

Hermione blinked at him until Fred and George cried out, "Wicked!"

"Don't encourage him!" she chided up at them, "I want him to graduate!"

"Hey, how much for this?" Ron asked, holding up an object to his brothers.

"Ten Galleons," they answered together.

"But I'm your brother!" he cried out.

"Fifteen Galleons," they grinned wider as Hermione rolled her eyes up at them.

"Five Galleons, Ron," she said, holding out her hand for the money politely and grinning once he mumbled "Why couldn't I have been related to _you_ instead, Hermione?"

* * *

><p>"Harry, you won't step on my feet," Hermione reminded the younger boy with a smile as he fidgeted in his seat, wondering whether or not to dance with her at Bill and Fleur's wedding.<p>

"If you're going to go through the pros and cons, I'm going to dance with her," Fred said, leaping up from his seat and taking her hand with a flourish. She laughed and shrugged at Harry, who was grinning as she was towed away.

"So, dreaming of your wedding in the future?" Fred asked when a slow song began to play.

"Pfft," she snorted, "No. Why? Are you, Freddie?" She batted her eyelashes at him playfully, making him chuckle back at her.

"I thought every little girl dreamed of their weddings?" he asked curiously.

"I did," she sighed, laying her head against his chest. "But it won't happen the way I wanted to."

"Why do you say that?" he questioned, holding her instead and swaying her as he frowned.

"I took my parents' memories and hid them in Australia, Fred," she murmured into his chest, making him freeze momentarily. "Fred, if I don't get through this whole ordeal, I need you to make sure they're okay."

He pulled away from her sharply, lowering himself to look in her eyes as he gripped her shoulders, frowning at her.

"Don't you dare say that," he ordered, "Hermione, if there's anybody getting out of this war, it's you. Whether if it's on your own will or mine or George's or Harry's or any of the other Weasleys – you're getting out of this."

She popped up on her toes and hugged him around the neck, hiding her face in his shoulder, "You will too. You and George and Harry and all of the other Weasleys. I'll make sure of it."

He hugged her tighter, running a hand through her hair and blinking when a silvery mist shot into the room, opening it's mouth to have Kingsley's voice boom out of it. Hermione promptly froze when she heard it, pulling back and staring at Fred with wide eyes before she grabbed his wrist and ran with him towards Harry, Ron and George. Before they could leave, Hermione grabbed her purse and quickly grabbed back on to Harry to Apparate to Grimmauld Place.

* * *

><p>"Somebody's got to look after the shop – and it can't be a one person thing either," George frowned, not liking the idea of splitting up.<p>

"Harry can't go – they're after him," Hermione insisted.

"We can't leave you with Ron and Harry – no offense or anything, but they'll slow you down," Fred announced, "Two kids with sixth year educations and fighting skills?"

"The D.A. helped us, Fred," Harry said.

"Yeah, but if you're surrounded by Death Eaters, which one is going to make more of a difference?" Fred asked.

"Hogwarts isn't safe either, so we can't really go back," Ron spoke up dully.

They were silent, sitting around the table in the tent that Hermione had stuffed into her purse, Fred and George's feet propped up as Ron laid his head down on his arms and thought.

"Ron and I will go work at the shop, we can change Ron's appearance and say he's a long lost descendant of Luna's," George finally said, "Fred and Hermione can help Harry."

They looked around at each other and nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p><strong>TO BE CONTINUED (because Ava wants to update)<strong>

**In case you couldn't tell, it's if Hermione was in Fred and George's year. I might do more of that AU – because can you imagine those three as first years and all awwww and stuff.**

**I'm planning on doing a Halloween chapter, by the way! I'm dressing up as Captain America – or the female equivalent anyway. We can't find red boots though. Yeah. What are you guys dressing up as?**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	48. This is Halloween Everybody Make a Scene

**Hey guys, so – uhh…you know last chapter and the whole "Hermione being in the same year thing"? Umm…kind of a promo, I guess you would call it. I _will_, in fact, be writing about how it'd be like if Hermione were in the same year as Fred and George, but it won't be in Headaches. But that'll be once I start typing and once I finish Feet Off, so it's not in any rush. I don't even know what I'm going to call it yet. But, uhh, here's the Halloween chapter!**

* * *

><p>The shop was decorated wildly, as it always was done when any holiday came rolling around. With cobwebs and dark lighting filling the shop, it felt spooky enough, causing Hermione to smile.<p>

"Granger!" George grinned, walking towards her, making her blink and grin at his pale blue face, stitches on his face and looking as if his ear had been ripped out by a seam. "You look wicked!"

She giggled, and smoothed down the skirt of her dress, "Thank you, George. You look spooky."

He gave a low growl and started shuffling towards her, making her laugh a little louder.

"Are you a zombie?" she asked curiously with a smile.

He dropped the shuffle and beamed, "I don't even know what I am!"

She laughed with him, smiling when he perched an arm on her shoulders and gave her a friendly squeeze.

"You seen Fred yet?" he asked, steering her towards the back room.

"No," she answered truthfully, her heart picking up a little bit.

"His is way scarier than mine," he said, flinging back the curtain and gaining the attention of Fred for a second, as he was working, thick glasses perched on his nose as he was carving some design. "Aah! It's terrifying! So scary!"

Hermione elbowed George lightly in the ribs, rolling her eyes at him as Fred gave him a quick glare, seeing as he hadn't dressed up yet. "Hey, I'd be careful, you two are twins after all."

Fred smiled, still working as George snorted.

"Yeah, but _I'm_ the better looking one," he said.

"I dunno," she hummed, "You've only got one ear. That's a turn off to some girls."

He gave her a long, hard stare as Fred began to chuckle, "Blasphemy."

She laughed at him as Fred set down his stuff and took the glasses off, shaking his head and blinking between them as he took in Hermione's costume. She had on a tattered white dress that had been cut off around the knees, her sleeves slipping off her shoulders haphazardly, the whole thing looking dingy, a wedding veil hanging over her face, holes in her veil showing that she had her skin incredibly pale and a line of fake blood coming from her hairline to her cheekbone.

"Wow," Fred blinked, "That's something."

She turned to him and smiled, "Thank you. What're you working on?" She walked over towards him, peering over his shoulder and looking curiously at what was on his desk.

"It's different candy that does different things," he explained, picking up one, "This one makes you and your costume look like a zombie for thirty minutes." He picked up another one, "This one makes you howl at the moon for forty."

She picked up one, looking at it curiously as Fred blanched a little, "And this one?"

"If you have a crush on somebody and the feelings are returned, whoever ate it will immediately begin to kiss their crush," George said brightly, making her drop the wrapped candy as if it were hot, her cheeks getting a small amount of pink to them through the pale. "And for about an hour too. But if they aren't returned, they've still got chocolate and peppermint to keep them company."

"Why an hour?" she questioned, turning to him now with her hands on her hips.

He wiggled his eyebrows at her good-naturedly, "If you had an excuse to kiss the bloke you fancy for sixty minutes, would you pass it up?"

She bit her thumbnail, looking to the shelves before finally answering with a small smile, "You make a good point."

Fred and George's eyes widened and Fred shot up onto his feet, both blinking at her.

"You _fancy_ somebody?" George blinked.

"Who?" Fred asked.

She shook her head and backed away from them into the corner, waving her hands as they followed her, "No way, I won't tell."

"Is it Krum?" George guessed.

"No," she frowned.

"Neville?" Fred tried.

"No," she insisted.

"Malfoy?" George asked.

She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, "Merlin, no."

"Thank the heavens!" George cried, grabbing her head and placing a peck there, "She's sane!"

"But who is it?" Fred questioned, tilting his head curiously at her.

She fidgeted and opened her mouth when Ginny popped her head in.

"Guys, the party's started," she frowned before grinning, "You aren't ditching us, right?"

"Of course not, sister dear," Fred said as she eyed his appearance. "I'll change in a few minutes."

"Fine," she sighed before brightening, "Hermione, you look brilliant!"

She smiled back, "Thanks, Ginny, you look neat as well."

Ginny flashed her new fangs at her and winked a golden eye, "Got to work hard to be Teddy's favorite aunty, don't I?"

"Hah," Fred smirked as he passed her, "You can't steal Hermione's spot."

She glared at him before giving him a playful growl, making George perk up and grab a candy.

"Ginny, eat this!" he exclaimed excitedly once Fred rolled his eyes and left.

She looked at it warily, glancing between it and her brother, "What does it do?"

"It makes you howl at the moon for forty minutes," he said gleefully.

Ginny brightened and popped it in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Mnn, tastes like caramel." George and Hermione looked at her expectantly before she let out a howl, making George beam and Hermione laugh and clutch at her heart, as she'd startled her. "Oh, this is brilliant! I love it!" She let out another howl, getting Hermione to join in with her playfully. "Bring some more of that candy to the party, it's awesome!" She let out another howl as she and Hermione left, on their way to Grimmauld Place.

George smirked towards the candy lying on the desk, "If you say so."

* * *

><p>"Hey, hi, hi Fred," George bounced up and down in front of his twin, a massive grin on his face before he blinked at him. "Who are you supposed to be again?"<p>

Fred rolled his eyes and grinned at him, "Steam powered automaton." He had painted his face to look as if he had been made of copper, vents painted along his cheeks in a dark silver, his eyes standing out with his bright red hair and the inside of his mouth looking strange and vibrantly pink against the copper and silver, his clothing black.

"Freddie, I speak English," George frowned.

Fred shook his head, "Robot. But what are you so excited about?"

George began to grin massively again and bounce up and down, which was hard to do within a group of people, "There's a wedding about to take place!"

"A wedding?" he blinked, letting him grab his arm and lead him through the people, shushing him needlessly as he watched Teddy tug on Hermione's hand.

"Yes, Teddy?" she questioned, kneeling down next to him as he took in a deep breath. Remus and Tonks watched on curiously from their portraits, Sirius blinking from his as Harry chuckled behind Hermione and his godson.

"'Ermione, I 'ove you," he said, making her grin at him and reach out to pet his hair.

"Oh, I love you too, Teddy," she said, making him smile a bit wider.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, making the crowd who stood watching coo at the question, Hermione's mouth popping open and an 'aww' attempting to escape her lips.

"Oh, I'd love to, Teddy," she played along, "But did you ask permission?"

"Huh?" the four year old asked, his eyebrows coming down as his parents watched from their portraits with giant smiles on their faces.

"Well, you have to ask your parents and my parents if it's okay," she told him.

"But your parents are away!" he cried out.

"That's why you've got to ask somebody else for permission," she said.

"Who?" he questioned.

"Well, I don't know," she pursed her lips, unaware that Sirius was jumping up and down in his portrait and pointing at himself, mouthing out 'me!'

"Unca Siri, can I marry 'Ermione?" Teddy asked, making her whirl around and frown playfully at him.

"Oh, I don't know," he hummed until he saw Teddy pout. "Oh, sure thing, kiddo."

"Wait, hold on!" Tonks cried out, pouting, "I can't take it. Seeing him get married. He's still a baby. Really!"

Lily leaned through Sirius's portrait, coming in with James, "How do you think I felt? All I could see when Harry was getting married was my baby!"

"Mum," Harry grinned at her as James and Sirius rolled their eyes at the redhead, James slinging his arm around her shoulders and pecking her head.

"Come on, Tonks, you're ruining the kid's Halloween," James said.

Tonks blinked at Teddy, who was pouting up at her. "Oh, alright." She smiled when Teddy beamed, "At least it's Hermione, her I trust."

Remus rolled his eyes, "I dunno – look at how much trouble she, Ron and Harry got into."

"Hey!" the three cried out, the crowd laughing at them, Fred and George as well.

"So can I or what?" Teddy frowned up at his parents.

Tonks wailed and leaned through to Remus's portrait, pretending to sob into his shoulder, "My baby! So grown up!"

"Can we all just hug Remus and make him feel uncomfortable?" James asked with a grin.

"I like that plan!" Sirius bounced over to his friend's portrait, practically tackling him as James squeezed into the background and waved at everyone, who was laughing, before messing up his hair, making him glare before Lily thumped into them and pouted at Harry.

"You grew up far too fast," she told him, making him shrug at her, a little sadly.

"So, who'll be the minister?" Ginny asked Teddy.

"Harry!" Teddy said happily, making him grin brightly and stand up from leaning on a chair to take a bow.

"Any best men or bridesmaids?" Hermione asked as she stood, smoothing out her dress.

Teddy thought about it before shaking his head, "Nah."

Harry cleared his throat as Ginny handed Hermione a vase filled with roses, making the three adults grin and the others hush each other as they watched. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to unite these two in figurative matrimony." Teddy's eyebrows scrunched up at the last two words, as he didn't know what they meant, but he perked up when Harry turned to him. "Teddy Lupin, do you take this woman to be your wife?"

"Yeah," he said before catching himself, "I mean – I do."

They grinned before Harry turned to Hermione, "Hermione Granger, do you take this troublemaker to be your husband?"

Hermione hummed and thought about it before grinning at Teddy, "I do."

"I now pronounce you figurative man and wife," he said before flashing a grin at Teddy, "You may kiss the bride."

Teddy smiled back before looking blankly up at Hermione, who crouched down and let him kiss her cheek.

"Teddy!" Victoire cried out from Bill's arms, pouting at him as he blinked at her curiously. "You meanie!"

"What did I do?" he asked.

"_I_ wanted to marry _you_," she slumped into Bill's grip as his eyebrows shot up, surprised that his daughter had said that.

"The drama unfolds," George murmured as he slid into the chair that Harry had previously been perched on. Fred flicked his ear as he stood next to him, watching as Hermione stood and winced at them.

"Well how was I s'posed to know that?" Teddy questioned.

"Ugh!" Victoire said instead, turning to her father, "Daddy, I don't ever want to get married now."

"Good deal," he hugged her tightly as Teddy shook his head.

"Girls are weird," he said, frowning at her.

"Hey now," Hermione smiled down at him, "I'm a girl."

He stared at her before patting her hand, "I'm sorry, it's not me, it's you." He walked off into the crowd as Hermione gaped at him, everyone cracking up as Lily leaned against the frame in an attempt to breathe better.

"Harry!" Hermione cried out, turning to him and hugging him as he laughed, "Teddy dumped me!"

"Oh, don't worry Hermione, you'll learn to love again," he said through his laughs, watching as Fred and George began to sober up.

"Sorry, Granger, not your best Halloween," George said, standing and patting her back.

"Worst Halloween _ever_," she pouted up at the twins before letting a laugh escape, "Oh, but that was too cute."

"Adorable," James spoke up.

"Tug-on-your-heartstrings cute," Sirius said.

"You two are messes," Remus shook his head at his friends as he grinned, "Honestly, James, I thought at least Lily and Harry would be able to straighten you out."

James snorted, looking at him in disbelief, "Really? Wow, Remus, it's like you don't know me at all."

Harry chuckled as the crowd began to turn their attention elsewhere, tugging on one of Hermione's curls, "Having fun yet, though?"

"So far," she swatted him away, "Other than getting dumped."

"It was nice having you in the family, no matter how short of a time it was," Tonks grinned at her as Fred was called over to Luna, who wanted someone to dance with.

"Aww," James pouted suddenly, "We could've had Hermione related to the Marauders."

Remus snorted, rolling his eyes with Sirius, "She's practically Harry's older sister."

"Why is she older?" Harry asked with a frown.

She grinned and bumped his hip with hers, "Because I am."

"Hey, Hermione, want a candy?" George asked deviously, holding out a dish as she looked at him suspiciously.

"Are these the ones from the shop?" she questioned.

He blinked, pretending to be offended, "What? Why would I do that?"

"Halloween night, the perfect place to have a few tricks disguised in treats," she hummed, crossing her arms over her chest, "I wouldn't put it past you."

"That hurts, Granger, that really does," he pouted as he set them on the piano, "You've hurt my feelings, I hope you're happy."

Hermione rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say that she was sorry, but he whirled around and marched away. She let out a sigh and looked over at Harry and Ginny, who were talking together, the Marauders talking to each other as well. She decided to go and talk to Neville and Luna, slipping through the crowd unnoticed.

"Hey, Freddie!" George said excitedly, "So, you going to ask Granger out tonight or what?"

Fred jumped up and clamped his hands on George's mouth, hissing out 'shush' at him as he glanced around worriedly.

George took his hands off, "Relax, last time I saw her she was up by the piano. Might be talking to Lily or Harry or something. But are you?"

"No," he frowned, "She doesn't feel the same."

"Care to find out?" he asked with a grin, "The candies are up on the – "

Fred cut him off harshly, "You _brought_ them?"

"Relax – half of the people don't know what they do, so it's either zombies, howling, or snogging. Or not snogging – it depends."

"George!" he said, exasperated, "I thought we were going to sell them for _next_ Halloween?"

"Test run," he shrugged easily, "Look, Metal Man, don't get your gears locked up. Go find the Corpse Bride and dance with her. Or snog her. Whichever."

"Bugger off," he said instead, walking out into the library and plopping on the couch, rubbing his eyes with his hands. He remained like that for a few minutes, resting his head against the back of the couch with his eyes closed until somebody spoke, startling him.

"Hi, Fred," Hermione said, making him pop up and blink at her before he gave a grin.

"You scared me," he said.

She grinned back, "Boo." She walked a little closer, stopping by the arm rest and leaning towards him, "I really like your costume. Love that band."

He brightened, "Yeah? Nobody else has gotten it."

She smiled, holding out her hand, several wrapped chocolates in there as she plucked one out, already unwrapping it, "Want a candy?"

"No thanks," he said before straightening up, "Wait, Hermione, where'd you - ?" The rest of his response was quickly muffled as she placed her lips on his, freezing him as they stared at each other. They quickly pulled away from each other, eyes wide before Fred spoke, "Yup. You got that candy."

She blushed through the charm on her skin as she kissed him again, "S-sorry."

He grinned as he grabbed her arm and guided her down into his lap, kissing her once more, "Heh, don't be. Kind of hoped this would happen."

She grinned sheepishly back at him before she kissed him again, his hands winding up into her hair as he tasted cinnamon and chocolate, her hands tugging on his black dress shirt.

* * *

><p>George grinned at his brother as he blinked at him, coming face to face early in the morning.<p>

"Mornin'," he mumbled, rubbing an eye.

"Had a nice night last night?" George asked knowingly as he followed him into the kitchen.

Fred grinned at him as he got a mug, "Drop the act, I can already guess you know."

George beamed and catapulted himself into a bar chair, "Oh, I'm so glad I can start pestering you two and make you feel awkward. How'd it happen?"

"What'd do you mean 'how'd it happen'?" Fred asked as he sat into the other chair, "She ate one of the chocolates and she kissed me. You left them on the piano, right, where she'd been? You set it up, didn't you?"

George blinked, "No, I left them on the mantle. On the other side of the room."

Fred stared at him blankly before frowning, then grinning, "It's peppermint, right? That we put in the chocolate?"

"Err, yeah, why?"

"I hadn't noticed," he said, grinning at himself as he ran a hand through his hair, "She didn't taste like peppermint. She tasted like _cinnamon_ – oh, clever girl. But how'd she know I liked her?"

George thought with him before blanching, "Luna said she'd talked to Hermione about mandrakes. You danced with Luna before I talked to you – they must've overheard."

Fred grinned, kicking the leg lightly as he drank his tea, "Huh. I guess Gryffindor's Golden Girl's got a bit of rust on her."

"Can gold rust?" George questioned as Fred rolled his eyes and stood.

"Dunno, but I'm gonna go call her out on it," he said, heading towards the fireplace.

"You don't have on a shirt," George called with a smile, not turning around.

"Consider it a prize for her finally tricking a Weasley twin," he winked before disappearing in the green flames.

George chuckled, grabbing Fred's mug and washing it out in the sink. "I can't wait until one of you tricks the other into marrying them," he muttered to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>Happy Halloween! I like this one – it's got Marauders, proposals, and Hermione tricking Fred. <strong>

**I had a huge chunk of chocolate cake so I'm keeping this short. Love you though!**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	49. Never Let Go

**(Back to the 'what if' universe. Plus a sappy speech by Ava at the end.)**

* * *

><p>Hermione watched as Harry rocked back and forth in his chair, wondering if he knew he was doing it or not. He was staring into space, his eyebrows furrowed as he glared at the coffee table. It scared her to see him so serious and grown-up. It was like yesterday that he'd been a scared little first year. Now he seemed seventeen and scared, but trying to cover it up.<p>

"Harry," she cut through the silence, "D'you want me to wear the locket?"

His head snapped up and he looked at her, shaking his head, "I'll be fine."

"Harry," she said softly, moving to sit on the arm of his chair, quickly glancing over his head to see that Fred was still asleep. "You look sick. Maybe it's the locket – at least let me see how you are without it."

He said nothing, but she didn't move from her perch, instead leaned into him and guided his head onto her shoulder, running her hands through his hair as she hummed. After a few moments, he ripped up from the chair, startling her.

"You're not my mum, okay, Hermione?" he suddenly snapped, "You don't have to – have to act like you care so much about me, I'm not helpless!"

She didn't get offended, instead she sat on the end of the chair's arm and looked up at him, "Harry, I care about you. I'm sorry if I come off as a mother, but I just want to make sure you're okay."

"You don't act like that with Fred," he practically growled.

She shook her head, "Fred's different."

"So you don't care about him then?" he countered as she stood, frowning at him.

"Harry, give me the locket," she glared.

"You're not answering the question," he prodded, "Do you care about Fred?"

He didn't get an answer, instead he got plowed onto the ground and the locket yanked from around his neck. His wand was kicked away from his hand and his arms were soon pinned, knees pressing onto his stomach until he finally stilled and looked at her with shame.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I didn't mean any of it."

She gave a small smile, "I know. It's the locket – it does things to us. Fred too – that's why he's sleeping it off."

Except Fred hadn't been sleeping – he'd been listening to them instead. And what he'd heard made him rather depressed. He knew Hermione would glance over at him again, so he kept his eyes shut, even when he heard Harry begin to get up and the wand being picked up, Hermione getting the locket, which had flown over by the room where he was in.

"Of course I care about him," she said, "Fred, I mean. I care about him so much sometimes that it scares me."

Fred's heart suddenly leaped into his throat and his eyes jerked open. He realized his mistake when he saw Hermione's back and Harry only glance at him for a second before turning his attention back onto Hermione.

"The other Weasleys too, right?" Harry asked innocently enough, although now he was speaking for Fred.

She gave a sigh, clipping the locket around her neck, "Of course. But Fred…something's off with Fred. I'm more worried about him."

"Maybe it's because he's running with us."

"I don't know," she admitted absentmindedly, "I just get the feeling that something'll happen to him, and I won't be able to…."

The rest of the sentence hung in the air until Harry completed it, "Fix him?"

She gave a slight hum, "Yeah."

And Fred, without the slightest idea of what that could possibly mean, shifted his position and stared at the wall instead.

* * *

><p>Fred growled as he was thrown onto the floor at Malfoy Manor, popping back up easily and flying back to the door, only to have it slam in his face. He gave out a huff, both at the door and the restraints on his wrists when Harry called out in the darkness.<p>

"Luna?" he questioned as a light appeared, the pale blonde girl looking washed out as she grinned dreamily at the two.

"Harry," she said as happily as she could sound, "Fred, too. Hullo. Would you like those ropes off?" As soon as they were, Fred ran back to the door and tried to find a way to open it, Harry and Luna watching him worriedly and freezing when they heard the first scream.

"Is that Hermione?" Luna asked fearfully as Harry rushed to Fred's side and desperately began to look for a way out.

* * *

><p>Hermione growled, refusing to acknowledge the fact that tears were streaming down her face, the pain stinging in her arm from the finished word "<em>Mudblood"<em> carved there, although she was still trying to kick the mad woman off, as she didn't feel like getting Crucio'd again.

"One more time," Bellatrix said as she stood, feet on either side of Hermione's as she glared, her wand in her hand, "Did you get the sword from my vault?"

"No!" she said in a low voice, glaring up at her, "I didn't."

"You liar!" she called out, raising her wand and making Hermione brace herself for the pain, except it never came, as Bellatrix had been barreled down by a one-eared ginger.

Fred slid to Hermione's side, Harry jumping over to untie her arms on the other side, making Hermione crane her neck to see if George would be okay. He looked extremely put out, as Bellatrix had Apparated away, and turned to look at her, wincing as he walked over to her.

As soon as she was released, Fred pulled her up into him and hugged her, making her whimper and lean her head against his shoulder, as she still hurt.

"You alright?" he asked, although he could tell that the obvious answer was 'no.'

"Never better, now," she managed a smile.

"C'mon, Granger," George said, grabbing an arm and holding it across his shoulders, letting Fred stand up and look at them worriedly. "Let's get you somewhere safer than this."

* * *

><p>"You're going to break into Gringott's – and not only that, but also Bellatrix Lestrange's vault?" George questioned, "Hermione, have you completely lost your mind with these two?"<p>

"We need the Hufflepuff cup, George," Fred explained as he threw different robes on, Harry waiting patiently with the Invisibility Cloak and Griphook, as Hermione was getting dressed up as the mad madam herself.

George arched a skeptical eyebrow at them, "Couldn't you find a different way to do that? I mean, Freddie, you could quite possibly _die_. And I like being able to confuse each other on which is which."

Fred only looked at the hole where George's right ear should've been. George paused before glaring.

"You know that _could_ be easily arranged," he huffed as Fred rolled his eyes and grinned.

"How's everyone, anyway?" he questioned.

George shrugged noncommittally, examining a figurine on a nearby table, "Eh. Mum's worried, Dad's worried, Bill's over by that piano, Fleur's upstairs with Hermione, Charlie's in Romania, Percy's a prick, I'm over here looking at this thing with wings – angel, right? – you're over there asking how everyone is, Ron's at the shop with Dad and Ginny, and Ginny's at the shop with Ron and Dad."

"It's Easter holidays," Harry blinked.

"Yup," George nodded before looking between the two, "You know, you don't _have_ to do it today. I mean, you guys just got through that whole ordeal. Is Hermione even up for it?"

"Yup," she said, stepping down the staircase as the boys grimaced at her. "Let's go."

"You look, umm…" Harry trailed off before putting it bluntly, "You look like my worst nightmare."

Bellatrix's face looked strange with a half-smile on it, "Hah, don't I know it?"

* * *

><p>"I-is that?" Ron blinked as he dashed onto the balcony, he and George watching as a great big white dragon soared over Diagon Alley.<p>

"Yup," George grinned before standing on the railing, Ron grabbing his leg to make sure he wouldn't fall off. "HEY! I EXPECT YOU THREE TO MAKE IT OUT OF THIS ALIVE, I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT!" he yelled, capturing their attention, making them grin and wave wildly.

George hopped down as Ron looked at him worriedly, "Wouldn't Death Eaters have heard that?"

"Hope not," George replied coolly, going back inside and shutting the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Hermione glanced over at Harry, then at Remus and Fleur, each fidgeting at the awkwardness of the other Weasleys scrutinizing Percy, who was pale and trying to find words to form sentences.<p>

"So," Hermione broke the silence, turning to Remus, "How's uhh Teddy and Tonks?"

"Oh," he blinked back, surprised she'd said something, "Err, fine, they're at her mother's. He's got blue hair now, likes the color."

"Cute," Harry coughed into his fist.

"Umm," Fleur tried to contribute to the awkward conversation, "Zat ees…nice. I hope he will learn not to cause too much trouble when he grows up."

Remus snorted, grinning at her as Harry chuckled, "That's where I'm a weird father, I guess. I kind of _want_ him to."

"You know we'll tell him that, right?" Harry asked.

He grinned back and was about to say something before Percy finally found out how to speak, "I was a fool!"

Fred arched an eyebrow at George, who did the same.

"I was stupid, I was insane, I was – "

The twins cut him off with grins, "A giant huge headed prat?"

"Yes!" he agreed before Molly quickly smothered him in hugs, wailing and rocking him back and forth as the twins patted him on the back, Bill and Charlie punching him in the shoulders as Ginny pecked him on the cheek. Arthur placed his hand on his shoulder once Molly pulled away, smiling at him before they turned back to Harry.

"What do you need from us, Harry?" he asked.

Harry looked blankly at them before turning to Hermione.

"Ravenclaw's diadem, we know it's here and we've got to find it before we can even attempt to take out Voldemort," she said.

"What's it look like?" Percy questioned.

"Kind of like a crown," she said, "Our best bet is to ask the Ravenclaws about it."

"I'll go," Harry said, grabbing Luna's wrist and towing her as he pulled on the Cloak.

"And the rest of us?" Molly questioned.

She took a very long look at them, one foot out the door as she sucked in a deep breath and shot them a sad smile, "Stay safe. Please."

* * *

><p>"You're joking, Percy!" Fred gave a laugh, grinning brightly at his older brother, "I haven't heard you joke since – "<p>

"Fred!" somebody screamed, something knocking against his shoulder and shoving him out of the way. He shook his head and looked around, checking over Percy, who'd been moved as well.

"Well who did that?" he questioned.

"Hermione!" Harry yelped, diving for the rubble, Fred's heart stopping as he went pale before he leapt up and began to help him dig through. He heard something groaning, pulling away another chunk of wall and gaping at her as she whimpered.

"Hermione," he said breathlessly, reaching down to grab at her hand, although she sucked in a breath of pain and he took his hand back. "Hermione, don't worry, we'll – "

"Go," she managed, making him blink.

"Wha-what?"

"Go, Fred," she urged before giving a small smile, "I'll be fine. Promise."

He looked doubtfully at her but stood, taking a step back and another and another before he whirled around and started to run, going to go hunt down however had done that to her.

* * *

><p>"Mum!" Fred and George called, running to their mother, looking at her worriedly, "Where's Hermione?"<p>

"We didn't see her when Harry was fighting Voldemort," George continued, slowing down to a jog as they neared her.

She looked up at them before grabbing their hands, setting them down on either side of her  
>and wrapping her arms around them, starting to cry again, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Pomfrey and I tried everything we could."<p>

"No," Fred said, ripping away from her and looking at her with wide eyes, shaking his head back and forth, "She's Hermione, she's got to be okay."

"No," George said, much quieter, and leaned against her more, "Not Granger."

"She – she promised she'd be okay," Fred continued, "Hermione doesn't make promises she can't keep."

"Fred," Molly said softly, reaching out to him again, "Fred, she's alright now."

"She'd be alright with _me_," he insisted as he tried not to cry, "She – she's always been alright with us, we never hurt her or let anyone hurt her."

"Oh Freddie," she said through tears, "My poor Freddie."

"Mum, she's got to be okay!" he insisted, although now he was even having a hard time to believe it. "She can't be…gone…."

"She shouldn't have gone through that," George murmured, "What she did."

"No, she shouldn't have," Molly agreed.

"Mum," Fred called her attention again, "Mum, I _love_ her. She can't be gone."

"Where is she?" George asked from her shoulder, interrupting her from talking to Fred again.

She gave a sigh and looked over, towards where the staff table had been, the two boys sharing a look before they stood and walked slowly over to her. Fred sat down next to her as George gripped his head, refusing to believe it now as Fred began to.

"No," George shook his head, "No, no, no. No, that's not her, it can't be – she's not that small, I could've sworn she was taller."

"She just seemed that way," Fred said in a hollow tone, "Hermione, why'd you have to go and…and push me out of the way?"

"She cared about you," Harry answered from behind them, making them turn to see him as he slowly stepped up to her, pursing his lips when he caught a good view. "She said she was afraid that something would happen to you and she wouldn't be able to fix you. You dying fit into the category."

"Her dying fits too," he muttered.

"I'm sorry, Fred," Harry said after a long pause.

"I'm sorry too, Harry," he said before sighing, "I never should've left her."

"She closed her eyes after you left," Harry began, "You were kind of the last person she saw and talked to."

Fred put his head down on his knees at this news, rubbing at his eyes furiously, refusing to let _anybody_ see him cry.

"Neville's fixed her mum's memory – her dad died in a car accident shortly after she relocated them, but she knew that," Harry said. "She'll be here soon. D'you…want me to leave?"

"No offense, Harry, but – yeah," he muttered. Harry nodded, and George left with him as Fred lifted his head and stared at her. He got up and sat on a step, facing her before he sighed and pecked her forehead.

"Mmn," a small sound was heard, making him jerk his head back and stare at her with wide eyes. He lifted his hand and smoothed her hair back.

"Hermione?" he whispered fervently.

She grimaced, opening her eyes slowly, her fingers weakly clenching around his hand, "Fred. Ow."

"Hermione!" he said with a beam, capturing the attention of everyone else, the sound of George plummeting to the ground after a proclamation of 'zombie Granger' being heard soon after. Fred pecked her head again, making her suck in a hiss of pain, "Thank Merlin, you're alright!"

"You and I have different definitions of 'alright' then," she muttered weakly, giving him a small smile, "I can't feel my leg."

"Which one?" he asked, looking over her before a loud scream was heard, Fred turning his head and smiling as Catherine Granger ran towards her daughter, slowing down to kneel by Fred and look over her worriedly.

"Mum," Hermione said in confusion, "Mum, what are you doing here?"

"They gave me my memory back at Mungo's," she explained hastily before her lower lip began to quiver, "Oh, my poor baby."

"Mum," she smiled as she tried to find a place to plant a kiss, "Forehead hurts the least right now."

She shot her a smile and kissed her there. Molly was soon by her side, helping her up to take her to the Burrow, as she didn't need to see the aftermaths of the war her daughter had been in.

"Fred," Catherine called before she was taken away, "Take care of her, alright?"

"Alright, Mrs. Granger," he nodded as he turned back to Hermione, who was slipping out of consciousness, although Pomfrey said it was to keep her from feeling pain during the move. He picked her up and was told to go to Mungo's with her, which he did.

Before he did, though, he saw Remus give him a knowing smile as he helped George up. He said nothing, but grinned instead.

* * *

><p>"I should poke you with a needle."<p>

"What?" Fred asked sleepily, raising his head from the edge of the hospital bed, making Hermione blink at him before frowning.

"I've said everything else in the world I could think of, and you wake up for _that_?" she frowned, "Honestly, of all the things."

"Good morning to you too," he teased, settling his chin back on his arms. "Need more morphine?"

"_No_," she insisted, "I _need_ to walk."

"You can't walk," he said, "Not for another few months."

"I _need_ to walk," she repeated, "For my own sanity."

"I can pick you up and carry you if you want a change of scenery," he said, straightening up and stretching his back out, "Otherwise, you're screwed."

She groaned and slumped against the pillow, "I've been here for four weeks."

"And you'll be here for another three, and it'll be another six weeks until you can even _attempt _walk again."

"Are you _joking_?" she blinked at him.

"No," he said before grinning, "But I know a really dirty limerick that'd make you turn red."

"No," she insisted with a glare.

He continued on anyway, "There once was a man from Nantucket – ow!"

She snorted back a laugh as he glared at her for throwing her pillow at him. "Hey, can't hurt the girl in the hospital bed."

"I could," he said as he handed the pillow back, "I'd just have to poke your foot."

She glared, "That's evil."

He grinned and set his legs up on the bed, his hands behind his head, "That's payback." He reached over on the nightstand and offered a book, "You want your book?"

"Sure," she sighed, taking it from him with a smile and opening up to where she left off. Fred crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, his feet up near hers, making him give a small smile when she nudged her good leg against his.

* * *

><p>"I found them like this," Katie whispered enthusiastically, opening the door slowly and the three sticking their heads in to see that Fred was sitting in his usual seat by her hospital bed, but with Hermione in his lap with his arms wrapped tightly around her, both of them asleep.<p>

Or so they thought.

"She tried walking," Fred said, making Katie, Lee and George jump and walk further into the room. "She's incredibly stubborn."

"Thank you for the compliment," Hermione muttered sleepily to him.

"Not a compliment," he insisted with a frown down at her as their friends grinned at them.

"So a compliment," she smiled.

* * *

><p>"Hermione!" Ron said happily, grinning at her, "That present for me?"<p>

"Hah," she laughed, holding an armful of presents to put under the Weasleys' tree, "There's one in here for you, so yes – a present is for you."

"Aren't you staying for Christmas here?" Harry asked, blinking curiously at her.

"No," she shook her head as she kneeled down and began to place them under the tree with the other presents, "Mum and I are going to see Paris, we'll be back in a week or two."

"Aww," Fred and George pouted, stepping in from outside, snow all over them from when Bill and Charlie had shoved them in snowdrifts.

She grinned and shrugged at them, placing the last present under and getting up with a grimace, something that didn't go unnoticed from her friends.

"Leg still bad?" George questioned, taking off a snow covered cap as Fred took off his jacket.

"Yeah, knee sticks on bad days," she shrugged, swinging it slowly by the knee like it was robotic, "But it'll get better eventually." She sighed and showed a grin, "Well, see you."

"We'll see you after you get back," George said, pecking her head.

"Hah, might have to come and pull me out of bed if you do," she smiled as Fred pecked her cheek. "Bye, guys."

"Bye, Hermione," they chorused as she left through the kitchen.

"Are you _ever_ going to make a move?" Harry questioned.

"What are you on about?" Fred frowned at him.

"Oh please," Ron snorted, "You're head over heels for her."

"And don't think we're just taking wild guesses," Bill said, taking off a scarf as he shut the door behind him and Charlie.

"You told _Mum_," Charlie grinned, "Mum told us after you offered to take her home one night."

"That, and it's not as if we couldn't figure it out ourselves," Percy said as he came down the stairs, "You wouldn't leave her side at the hospital."

Fred couldn't find anything to disprove these facts, so he shrugged and sat down next to Ron on the couch. "I'm thinking."

"Of _what?_" they all seemed to shout.

"The weirdest possible way to tell her," he said dully before adding, "Duh."

They rolled their eyes and shook their heads at him, but did so with smiles.

* * *

><p>"Hey Freddie, look," Ginny sang, waving an envelope in front of his face, "It's from Hermione." He snatched it away from her, glaring at his little sister. "Wonder what's in it?" she tried peeking over his shoulder, but he laughed and shoved her away.<p>

"Bugger off, go open your presents," he said, ripping open the seal and unfolding it as he lead back in the chair and picked his feet up as George scooted along on the floor like an inchworm, wrapped tightly in wrapping paper, with a bow on his head.

_Fred,_

_I realize this probably is the worst possible way to do this. So much for being a brave Gryffindor, hmm? I can't do this to your face though. _

_D'you remember in sixth year, and the Yule Ball was coming up, and I went with Krum? Truth is, I didn't really want to go with Krum. Well, I would've if I didn't want to go with someone else. He never asked me though. Asked someone else – I thought I shouldn't even bother anymore. But at the Ball, he didn't go with her, really, he'd asked for his friend. Brother. Twin. _

_Are you following me, here?_

_Fred, you're brilliant. You're nice and sweet and funny and you're the best friend anybody could ever ask for, certainly more than I deserve. And that's why I've never said anything, because I didn't want to lose that. I still don't. It's why it's in a letter, and not face-to-face. I wouldn't be able to do it face-to-face, because it's bad enough to write this with the idea of losing my best friend in my mind, I don't think I'd be able to handle it if I were staring right at you._

_By this time, I will be hiding in mortification of what I've just done with no way to get it back. It's out in the open – of course, you could just pretend it never happened, in which case I should be terribly broken-hearted and I'd have to hit you with a book before hiding again. _

_The truth is, Fred, I love you._

_Please don't break my heart._

_Hermione_

"Holy hell," Fred breathed, unaware that George, still wrapped in wrapping paper, was reading over his shoulder and gaping.

"She bloody loves you!" he yelled before he went tumbling over his shoulder, capturing the attention of their family as they fought to right themselves on the floor. "Freddie, go after her!"

"But, but she – wow, she…" Fred couldn't string sentences together.

George glared at him, wiggling in his wrapping paper, the bow askew on his head, "If you say that she can't feel the same, you're _blind_."

"But – "

"If you don't go after her, I will impersonate you and do so for you!" he threatened.

"You've only got one ear," he reminded him with a frown.

"I can take Polyjuice potion!" he huffed.

"I wouldn't give you my hair," he shook his head.

"Who said I'd ask?" he frowned back.

The Weasley family was silent as they waited for Fred to make up his mind, reading over the letter again before Lee came running into the living room.

"Hermione's mum just got into a bad accident, she's fine but she's under sedation right now," Lee panted as Fred stood up, George attempting to do the same but failing. "Hermione's at her house, but I can't find her _anywhere_. She's hidden, and she's kept telling me to go away through Patronus – which, right now, doesn't have a form."

"I'll go," Fred said, grabbing his wand and looking over at his family, who nodded him along.

* * *

><p>Fred looked around the dark entryway of Hermione's house, which she'd kept even though nobody had lived in it during their Horcrux hunt. He made it to the first landing before he wondered where she'd be hiding when a silver mist, trying very hard to look like an otter, came down from the top staircase, leaping down to the entryway to give out a message.<p>

"Go away, Lee," Hermione's voice came from it before it vanished, making Fred look up at the dark staircase. He slowly crept up it, looking around warily at the library, knowing that it'd come from here, but not exactly from where.

He wondered if her library had any of those secret passages and if she'd be terribly upset if he pulled every single book out of its place when he spotted the window seat. He quietly walked over to it and kneeled down next to it, opening up the compartment and making her blink up at him.

"Hi," she said blankly as he put his arms on the edge of the box.

"Your mum'll be fine, Hermione," he promised.

"I know," she whimpered, hiding behind her hands.

"But that's not what you're hiding for, is it?" he asked quietly.

"I talk to my mum about everything," she said instead of coming out and answering the question.

He leaned into the box and pulled her hands away to kiss her, pulling back and smiling as she blinked rather owlishly at him.

"Hi," he grinned.

"Hi," she blinked back.

"I love you," he said simply as she sat up.

She gave a smile, "I love you too." He grinned and kissed the side of her head, helping her up and out of the window seat. "Hey, Happy Christmas."

He grinned wider, "Happy Christmas. You want to go see your mum?"

She pecked his cheek, "Yeah. Thanks."

"No problem," he said, beginning to lead her down the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Step One: Coo about the chapter. Check? Check.<strong>

**Step Two: Listen to Ava talk about this story. Step Two is optional.**

**This is the _fiftieth chapter. Fifty._ That's halfway to one hundred. Can you imagine one hundred chapters of this? I can't. But, anyway, this is a milestone I am going to try to accomplish. I've already made it to the halfway mark, why not go all the way?**

**Of course, this all has something to do with you guys. If nobody read this, I wouldn't have a reason to write it. Every single review from you guys always makes me smile, because you've taken the time out of your day to read the story and even leave a review. Even if you don't review, I still love you, because you're still reading. Plus, I've made some very good friends from this story, and I wouldn't be able to imagine what it'd be like without talking to them now. **

**This story has got so many memories in it for me, from the first update to now, because I can remember sitting on the wall outside my school checking reviews for the first chapter of this, I can remember sitting through play practice when my scene partner wasn't there and smiling through the reviews, I can remember looking through reviews asking if my dad was okay, and I just want to reach through the screen and hug each and every one of you, because no matter how many memories _I_ might have, I can only wonder about the ones _you_ might have. You're all very important to me, whether if I talk to you or not. I hope you know that.**

**That being said, I'm going to work towards another fifty (and another fifty after that, and so on and so forth) of stuff revolving around the adorable couple that is Fred Weasley and Hermione Granger. **

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	50. Piece of Cake!

**Okay, first off – you guys are about to make me cry on the 50th chapter. Keep up the good work. **

**Something I've thought of recently: Headaches is like my baby it has high standards it's like trying to judge your daughter's boyfriend to see if he's worthy enough. "Are you worthy, child?" "Uhh, I'd like to think so." "TO THE HUNGER GAMES IT IS THEN" "wait what"**

**And now back to your irregularly scheduled chapter of Headaches.**

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Sweetheart!"<p>

"Fred, put her down," Hermione said, although she said this half-heartedly as he held their daughter up above their heads, "She might fall."

"Can't fall, Mummy!" Dana exclaimed, "I fly!"

"Today's your sister's birthday!" Fred said happily as he sat up and hugged her closer, "D'you think we should wake the birthday girl up?"

The little five year old beamed and nodded, being carried by Fred as he walked into the girls' room and flicked on the light, grinning brightly before blinking in confusion. "Marissa? Honey, where are you?" He walked out into the living room and looked around, setting Dana down and grabbing the note off the kitchen counter.

* * *

><p>Draco crept silently through the hallways of his old house, listening closely as he held his wand aloft, It was dark, had been for ages, and he wondered why it had been chosen as a safe house when it should've been condemned ages ago.<p>

He heard something whimpering and turned the corner, finding something squeezing in tighter to a corner at the light. This something had a small body clad in light blue pajamas, with crazy curly red hair that was probably twice the side of her head.

"Marissa?" he called out softly, still holding his wand up.

She sniffed and looked up, making him come face to face with the same eyes that had housed the biggest brain that had ever been in Gryffindor.

"I'm an Auror," he whispered, walking carefully towards her, wanting to show that he meant no harm to her.

"I wanna go home," she said, beginning to cry.

"Don't worry, I'll get you home," he promised, kneeling down in front of her, but still she wedged herself further into the corner. "You know, I've got a son about your age. I've got pictures with me. Want to see?"

She eyed him carefully before nodding slowly, making him pull out his wallet and slip out the picture that Tori had taken of him and Scorpius after the Cake-Baking Incident, where only his son's blonde hair could be seen through the cake batter, a giant grin on his face as Draco attempted to clean him up.

"Would it be alright if I took you home now?" Draco asked as she looked over the photo. She nodded and handed the picture back.

"I don't think so, traitor," a voice growled from the shadows as Draco's eyes widened.

* * *

><p>"Mummy! Daddy!" Marissa squirmed and ran towards her mother, who hugged her first as Fred blinked at who had rescued his daughter.<p>

"Greyback thought it was a good idea to try to steal your kid," he said stiffly, "Which is really stupid, considering who you two are and who you know."

Marissa was picked up and hugged by Fred as Hermione stood and approached Malfoy before she hugged him as well. Draco stiffened more as he glared at Fred and Marissa grinning at him.

"Granger, I don't do hugs," he told her.

"I'm Weasley now, and you better damn well learn to do hugs," she muttered to him as his arms awkwardly looked for a place to hug her. Fred snickered as Dana hugged her little sister, who pouted at the mushiness of it all. Marissa pulled back and tugged on Draco's sleeve, making Hermione pull away from him so he could look down at her curiously.

"Mistah Malfoo," Marissa said, "D'you wanna piece of cake?"

He blinked at her, which she took as an incentive to continue talking. "My Gramma Molly made it for me. Mummy and Daddy can't cook too well. They can sometimes, but then our flat smells funny for a few days." He blinked even more at her, his eyebrows going up. "It's a strawberry cake. With vanilla frosting. I'm turning five. How old's your son again?"

"Five," he answered, finally.

She thought about it before smiling, "He'll be in my year when I go to school, yah?"

He gave a grin back, "Yeah."

"So – do you want cake?" she questioned once more.

"If it's alright, I'd like to take some back to Scorpius," he said, also silently asking Hermione and Fred if it was alright.

Marissa pursed her lips, "That's a weird name."

"Well, 'Marissa' is a weird name," he countered.

"It's a pretty name," she argued with a glare, making him grin down at her.

"I never said it wasn't pretty," he pointed out, making her give a nod – as apparently this was the correct way to go about things – and grab his hand to drag him into the kitchen, where Fred had already got the candle lit and was sharing a grin with Hermione.

* * *

><p>"Mwah!"<p>

"Ugh, Mari!" Scorpius cried out with a blush, wiping off where she'd kissed him on the cheek with his sleeve. She giggled, leaning against the arm of his chair in the Ravenclaw Common Room, her wild red hair flying everywhere.

"Scorpius," she said as she sat next to him on the couch, "I think I want to marry you."

He blinked rather owlishly at her, "But we're eleven. We can't get married at eleven."

"Not at eleven," she snorted and rolled her eyes at the thought, "That's silly. I mean when we leave Hogwarts – I want to marry you after we leave Hogwarts."

He blinked again, "Oh. Okay." He furrowed his eyebrows after a moment, "Will I still have to propose?"

She thought about it before shrugging, "If I forget, just remind me, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded, going back to his book.

Later on that day, when he saw his dad, he told him of this and asked what it meant.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher grinned and thought of the little redhead who had made him get closer to the Weasleys (and Potters) and how stubborn she'd gotten when she wanted to make somebody happy, whether it was as small as making them get a piece of birthday cake or making them get closer to her family.

"Well, Scorp," he said, patting him on the shoulder, "At least she told you, and you didn't have to go about figuring it out yourself."

Scorpius only looked at him in confusion, "What?"

He chuckled and shook his head, "Nothing."

* * *

><p><strong>I tried. It's nearly one in the morning. Nobody criticize me.<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	51. Plenty of Whizbangs

**Wow, long time, no chapter, huh?**

**Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.**

**Did I mention I'm sorry?**

**Sorry.**

* * *

><p>Hermione bit her lip and stared at her reflection, tugging at a curl before taking a deep breath, closing her eyes and letting it out slowly. She could do it. She knew she could. Couldn't she? Of course. Right?<p>

Her hands smoothed down the fabric of her dress, rustling with movement. She opened her eyes and stared down at it, her thumb rubbing at a small, white fabric rose at her hip and trying not to think. This was incredibly hard for her, as she kept looking up at her reflection, although it didn't look like her.

She was wearing an off-the-shoulder sleeved wedding dress, the skirt of it flaring out a bit at her hips to make it seem as if she had a smaller waist, the hem ending at her knees. She fidgeted with the veil, which she wasn't ready to pull over her face yet, and the white heels that she stumbled in with every step. She had on eye shadow, making her eyes seem bigger, which was an amazing feat within itself, as she thought that she resembled an owl already. She had to remind herself not to rub at her eyes, as she knew she had mascara on, but they were terribly itchy and she was reminded yet again why she never wore it. Her lips were red, and shiny, and looked very, very plump, and her hair was smoothed down and not at all bushy.

But she felt sick to her stomach. She felt like curling up in a corner and crying, sobbing her heart out, running her fingers through that ridiculous hairdo and ruining the makeup and kicking off the heels and curling her bare toes against the cold hardwood floor. Actually, that idea sounded very nice.

A knock sounded at the door and she jumped, her heart beating erratically in her chest. Oh Merlin, she couldn't do it. There was no way she could do it. It was wrong, it had been wrong all along, why had she never noticed before?

"Hermione?" a voice called out to her, stern and still foreign to her ears. As her parents still did not have any recollection of her or their life with her, her father was therefore not there to walk her down the aisle. Her fiancé's father had volunteered, and she was too frightened of the man to tell him no, that she wanted Harry or Mister Weasley or Ron to do it. "Ready?"

"Y-yes," she answered, her voice hitching in her throat. She took another deep breath and a shaky hand reached for the bouquet. She took another look at her jeans, tennis shoes, and Weasley sweater, her wand tucked into the pocket of her jeans. It was as if they were all begging her to come back to them, to pull them back on and run out of there as fast as her legs could carry her. She wanted to. Her heart ached to.

"Hermione?"

"Coming," she murmured, opening the door and forgetting to smile when her fiancé's father gave a smile and pulled the veil over her head for her. With all things considering, he was rather nice. He offered his arm, making her grab his elbow and give a gasp as she threatened to tumble to the floor again, the shoes practically laughing at her. He righted her and patted her hand, the bridal march beginning and the doors opening.

Hermione passed her friends and the Weasleys, who she had always thought of as her family. While the groom's side looked proud and happy, the bride's was acting as if this was her funeral, rather than her wedding. Molly gave her the warmest smile she could while tears were clouding her eyes, Arthur patting his wife's shoulders and nodding Hermione along with a smile as well. Ginny was slumped in her seat, eyes threatening to run over with tears as she bit her thumbnail. Harry gave a small smile as well, although he looked happy as long as he thought she was happy. Charlie and Angelina tried to smile their smiles, Fleur managed to pat her arm while she walked by, and Bill gave a quick grin. George looked up and gave her a sad smile, the seat next to him empty. Hermione's eyes started to tear up and she stopped momentarily, opening her mouth to say something to him, but she was urged on. George sat up a little curiously, watching as she was given to the groom.

"Mawwage," the priest began, startling Hermione as she blinked in surprise at him, tears spilling over accidentally in the process. "Mawwage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawwage, that bwessed awangement, that dweam wifin a dweam...Howebba, there are some who obbose this awangement. Dey mus' speak now or fo'eber hold their peace."

The room was silent for a few moments. The priest was pleased at this and opened his mouth to continue, when a voice stopped him.

"I object," a shaky voice said before they cleared it and tilted their head high, flinging off her veil, "I object."

"H-Hermione?" the groom blinked at her in surprise as the whole church seemed to gasp.

"I – I'm sorry," Hermione winced, not noticing that George sat up brightly in his seat, turning to the empty seat next to him before remembering what he'd forgotten. "But I don't love you. I don't love you. I'm sorry, I'm awful, I'm truly awful, but I can't do this." She turned to their guests, wincing, "I'm terribly sorry to you all as well. To the groom's side, you may pick up your gifts and – and give them to him now or wait until he gets married to a proper girl – and to my side, I will see you at a wedding I will actually partake in, if you can find it within yourselves to forgive me. And now," she took a breath and took off the heels, grabbing them in her hand and staring in determination and longing at the door, "I feel the very strong urge to run as far and as fast as I can."

And with that, she dropped the bouquet, took off the veil, and ran down the aisle, George hopping up and running after her.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Freddie," George said with bright smile, finding his twin on the couch in their workroom, a massive frown on his face as he laid there in the dark.<p>

"Merlin, I hate you," Fred said.

"Why?" he asked, nearly sitting on his feet until he yanked them away at the last second, sitting up on his elbows and laying his head on the armrest.

"You didn't have your heart prodded at while she talked about that guy. You didn't have it jabbed at when she started dating him. You didn't have it hurt when she talked about kissing him for the first time with our little sister. You didn't have it stop when she said she was marrying him. You didn't have it ripped out when you were invited to the wedding." He looked at his twin, who was looking at him in mild concern. "George, I'm dead. It can't be possible to walk around and talk and eat and even think when I don't have a heart anymore."

"Aww, Freddie," George winced before brightening again, "I know what can cheer you up. It's right upstairs."

"No," Fred said stubbornly, glaring at him, "I refuse to move."

"It's a good surprise," George said as he stood.

"I am not moving from this spot," Fred declared, grabbing the side of the couch cushion for emphasis. George sighed, rolling his eyes and frowning at him.

"Do you want me to ruin the surprise?" he asked with a smile before lowering his voice, leaning forward a bit, "Hermione's upstairs. She didn't marry him. She says she's a horrible person and that everyone should hate her right now."

Fred sat up and jumped up in a blur, his eyes wide and his eyebrows up, "George, I swear, if you're joking – "

"Go prove her wrong," George grinned before stepping out into the shop, "I think I'll go for a really, really long walk. Might stop by Mum's. Might stop on Mars. Take your time – don't wait up."

Fred grinned back at him before taking the steps two at a time, slowing at the door and opening it and pretending to look surprised at her being there. In actuality, he was rather surprised to find her in her wedding dress, crying as she pouted and kicked her heels back and forth between her feet.

"I couldn't do it," she said as he walked closer, "I couldn't. I couldn't at all. I can't believe I actually thought I could. I didn't _love _him!"

"I thought you did?" Fred questioned, circling the coffee table to sit on the couch next to her, looking sideways at her.

"I thought I did too, but I was looking at myself in – in _this-_" she gave a glare at the dress "-And in those ridiculous shoes and it wasn't me at all, and I would be alright with it all because I loved him, but I wasn't alright with it and I didn't love him and I just had to _run_, I had to run and run and run and scream and shout and cry and George caught up to me and told me to come here, and now I'm here and now you're wondering why this barmy girl is sitting here telling you everything she's been through when you barely care!"

"Of course I care," he said soothingly, pulling her into his side and smiling when she pulled her legs up beside her, catching a glimpse of bright blue painted toenails. "I'm so glad you didn't marry him. That's why I didn't go, and I'm sorry, but I couldn't watch you throw your life away." _And mine as well._

"Yeah, I was wondering," she said quietly against his shirt. "Rather put out. I was expecting fireworks there, Fred."

He chuckled and rubbed her back, picking out the bobby pins that held her hair up and running his free hand through her hair. "I'll bring fireworks next time. Lots and lots of Whizbangs."

"Good," she sighed, glad that the awful up-do was gone now, wanting to forget her cowardice and her fear from the day. "It just might compensate for you not being there today."

"Anything for you, Sweetheart," he said as she lifted her head up and looked at him curiously. He arched an eyebrow back at her, "What?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, blood rushing to her cheeks as her eyes widened. She'd gotten that same look when Fred and George had teased her (good-naturedly) about her being Krum's important thing when they'd helped dried her off from the lake. Fred blinked back at her before dipping his head down and glancing back at her eyes. She bit her lip before kissing him, quickly forgetting what she'd been through that day as he pulled her into him and ran his fingers haphazardly through her hair.

"Whizbangs," she gasped for air when they pulled back, making him look up at her in hazy confusion.

"What?" he asked breathlessly.

"Whizbangs, lots and lots of Whizbangs," she said, explaining more when he only gave her a grin and tilted his head at her, "In the kiss."

"Let's see if they're still there," he said, reaching for her again. He and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he'd be bringing Whizbangs to their wedding, real or kiss-type.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it took so long. But I think I rather like this one. <strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	52. Pink Ink

**The original of this story was actually very sad, but we don't need that!**

**And sorry if you don't celebrate Christmas. If I knew more about Hanukkah or something, I'd write about it, too. **

* * *

><p>Hermione and Harry were both lounging in the living room in the Burrow. As they had both worked late shifts and came back with the expectation to be put to work, they were surprised when Mrs. Weasley ordered them both to go lie down on the couch, that everything was taken care of. Ron opened his mouth to disagree, but stopped himself with a shake of the head and an eye roll.<p>

By this time, presents were under the tree and the food was already made for the next day. And the two were bored, pouting at each other unless Teddy or Victoire came up to them and told them something before running off again.

However, the next time the two toddlers ran up to them, they stayed.

"Wanna hear a Kissmast song," Victoire told Harry, who picked her up and put her in his lap as he curled up in the chair.

"Yeah," Teddy agreed, allowing Hermione to pull him up with her.

"Err, let's see…" Harry began.

"Jingle bells, jingle bells – " Hermione began.

"No, _new,_" Teddy told her.

"New?" she echoed before wincing with Harry, "Ahh, okay, let's see here."

"On the day before Christmas, almost everything was here," Harry began.

"Twelve different dinners," Hermione pointed out with a grin, as Mrs. Weasley loved to cook on any given day, especially for Christmas.

"Eleven House-elves' socks," Harry sang, as Hermione had covertly been trying to start up S.P.E.W, targeting first the houses who treated their elves poorly. It was a modest success, and she'd been using the same trick that Harry had done to get Dobby free.

"Ten broken ornaments!" Teddy and Victoire had tried to help decorate the Christmas tree, but dropped a box. The ornaments were fixed quickly though, what with magic and all, but the two were still upset about them. But Harry and Hermione made them laugh about it in their song, which meant they were quickly getting over it.

"Nine late work shifts," Harry sang, stretching out his back and yawning. Hermione nodded, as she worked for Misuse of Muggle Artifacts and Harry worked for the Auror department, around Christmas people found different ways to experiment or cause trouble.

"Eight perfect snowmen," Hermione pointed to the front yard, where they had built an army, each with different poses or expressions, one even waving.

"Seven dead Horcruxes."

"Six Weasley kids."

"Five new kittens!" Hermione grinned a little bit brighter, as Crookshanks had become a father to five little mewing bundles. As the mother was a neighbor to the Weasleys, they let them have the kittens, where nobody could find the heart to give them away, so they were an added addition to the Weasley clan.

"Four Hogwarts houses," Harry prompted.

"Three new jumpers," Hermione smiled as Teddy curled up in his and grinned at her. It was his and Victoire's first Weasley jumpers, along with Victoire's little sister, Dominique.

"Two flights of stairs," Harry groaned, dreading the walk up those stairs to get to his room to curl up into bed.

"But we're missing one Fred Weasley," Hermione said, smoothing back Teddy's hair as he pouted. Harry patted Hermione's arm with his foot, making her smile over at him before settling down and hugging Teddy.

Soon enough, the whole Burrow was quiet. They'd seen the kids curled up with Harry and Hermione and decided to leave them be, heading upstairs to get some sleep before they were woken up to open presents.

However, just because the Burrow was quiet, didn't mean everyone was asleep. George was sitting in the kitchen, staring down into a cup of what seemed like tea, and thinking. He was being totally silent, knowing that Harry, Hermione and the two kids were asleep _right there_, and didn't want to wake them. It would be hard enough getting presents there with Victoire and Teddy sleeping on the couch and the chair, and he didn't want to deal with questions on whether or not Santa had come yet.

The backdoor opened, letting a gust of cold air in, somebody huffing before shutting the door quietly and sitting down.

"The next time," Fred began as George started to grin, "You feel that we should go check out Muggle shops, _you_ are going."

"That bad?" he asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe," he huffed, taking off his jacket and frowning at his twin, "I had to take the train. Some guy falls asleep on my shoulder, and let me tell you, I don't think this guy has ever heard of dental hygiene. Then, when I got there, half of them were either full or closed. Missed the early train, had to wait _two hours_, and I couldn't Apparate because there was a massive swarm of people around me, and I was probably touching five different people at once." He glared, "Never _ever_ again, George."

"It needed to be done," George shrugged.

Fred huffed and frowned at him some more before shaking snow out of his hair, "So, where is everyone stationed and how quiet do I need to be?"

"Mum and Dad are asleep, Percy and Jenna are too, Bill and Fleur are up by the attic, Ron and Lavender are in his old room, Katie's asleep in Ginny's room with Ginny, Angelina's with Charlie in his old room, I'm down here with you, and Teddy and Victoire are with Harry and Hermione in the living room," he stated.

Fred smiled, "Hermione's over?"

"Yeah, it seems like Kingsley _finally_ decided they could sleep," he grinned, "I heard them singing to the kids before they all seemed to drop off. None of us had the heart to wake them up."

Fred stood, George standing as well and following him into the living room. It seemed that they'd all moved from their original positions. Hermione was still on the couch, but Harry, Victoire and Teddy were asleep under the Christmas tree. Why or how, don't ask, but the two kids were curled up with pillows, while Harry still managed to get his head underneath there, a red ornament hitting him in the forehead.

Fred arched an eyebrow at George, who only stared blankly at the ones around the tree. He grinned and shook his head, moving over to Hermione and stooping down to get his face level with hers. He reached over and moved his index finger along her nose, making her frown and open her eyes with a glare before she blinked and grinned, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him.

George grinned at them and went back into the kitchen, grabbing his tea and grimacing when he'd seen it'd gone cold. He poured it out as Harry – who's hair was severely messed up – carried in Victoire and Teddy. He handed one to him, who smiled and helped him take them upstairs.

"You're back," Hermione grinned, kissing Fred quickly, "How was it?"

"Eh," he shrugged, "Wouldn't want to do it again, but it was okay." He kissed the side of her head, "You free for a while?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "I told Kingsley, but not the others. He was sworn into secrecy."

"Hah," Fred grinned at his wife, "Good – wouldn't want to take away Mum's Christmas present, would we?"

"Think she'll know what it is?" she bit her lip as she sat up, Fred taking the seat beside her, "I mean, I don't think she'd be familiar with an ultrasound picture."

"Don't worry, I fixed the card," he said.

"Fixed it _how_?" she asked warily.

He reached into his bag, pulling out the card. Hermione looked it over and arched an eyebrow at him before slowly flicking it open, looking at the black and white photo before an invisible hand wrote, in pink ink, _"My name's going to be Dana! I'm supposed to be born in seven months, but I'm a Weasley kid, so who knows? See you soon, love you!"_

"Hopefully she'll take the hint," Fred grinned before kissing Hermione once more. Hermione smiled and put the card in the envelope, scribbling _Weasley family_ on the front quickly before setting it in Molly's stocking. "I can't wait to see the look on their faces."

"Hah, me either," he smiled as she sat down by him once more and leaned into him. They were silent for a while, Fred's head leaning back into the sofa and contemplating going to sleep until Hermione began to hum to the tune of "Twelve Days of Christmas." He grinned and hummed with her, glad that he was home.

* * *

><p><strong>So, for the play I recently did, which was named <em>Partridge in a Palm Tree<em>, this kid – Kevin – has a crush on my character Jenny, and kept bringing her presents, singing it to the tune of the Twelve Days of Christmas. We only got up to seven though, so it was _seven airline barf bags, six bags of peanuts, five luggage tags, four magazines, three t-shirts, two light-up pens, and a Partridge in a palm tree!_ (They were going to Florida, her last name was Partridge, and it was a palm tree photo clip.)**

**Anyway, the song has been in my head, so I unleashed it here!**

**Love,**

**Birdie**

**PS – Ho, ho, ho!**


	53. Tis the Season to Check Stockings

**A lot of you guys wanted a sequel to last chapter, so – here ya go!**

* * *

><p>"Hey, Mum, you should check your stocking!" Fred said as the kids (and Ron) seemed to quiet down some, standing and taking it off of the fireplace. He walked over to where she was seated on the couch with his dad, handing it to her and grinning at his wife as he made his way back to her, sitting on the armchair she was currently sitting in. They shared grins with one another as she began to dig through it.<p>

"Well, I see Sugar Quills, a few candy canes, a coupon for some place called 'Weasley Wizard Wheezes' – oh, but look, somebody's written in 'free pass,' see?" she teased, showing his father the paper as George chuckled. "And, oh – a card," she glanced at her children, who were looking at her curiously, as nobody remembered getting any type of card. She slipped it out of the envelope and opened it up, looking in confusion before she read aloud, Hermione moving to let Fred sit in her spot and sitting in his lap, smiling as she watched them, "_My name's going to be Dana! I'm supposed to be born in seven months, but I'm a Weasley kid, so who knows? See you soon, love you!_" Mrs. Weasley stared down at the black and white photograph as Arthur looked over her shoulder and blinked.

She picked her head up and saw Fred and Hermione grinning at them, Harry gaping at them as Ginny beamed. "Hermione…are you…?"

"Mhm," she smiled, laughing when the woman immediately dragged her into a standing position to hug her. Harry, Ginny, George and Ron all squeezed in as well, making her wince when it got hard to breathe. "Hey, I'm pregnant, one at a time now!" They withdrew with laughs, except for Molly, who continued to hug her. George ruffled up Fred's hair, both of them grinning from ear-to-ear – metaphorically speaking in George's case. Harry hugged Hermione next as Molly patted at her eyes.

"Ooh," Bill laughed, "I can't wait until Freddie's a dad."

"Hah," Fred grinned back, "That's a sentence I bet you never thought you'd say."

Arthur hugged Molly before hugging Hermione, dragging Fred out of his seat to hug him as well, "Congratulations, you two."

"Wait a minute," Harry sat up, frowning at her, "No fair, you get maternity leave!"

She smirked, "I _have_ maternity leave. I asked Kingsley, and he said that since I have so many vacation days and sick days, that I started it as soon as we left work last night."

"No freaking fair!" Harry crowed. Fred laughed at him, grinning.

"If you'd have let George and I test that potion on you, Harry, you could be getting maternity leave too," he smiled, "You had your chance, Potter." Hermione rolled her eyes and pecked her husband's cheek, making him turn his smile onto her and peck her forehead.

* * *

><p><strong>It was short, but I'm installing a Nancy Drew game. If I don't speak with any of you until the next year – Happy New Year! And wish me a happy birthday and good luck with driving on my own on the New Year's Eve! (I'm gonna need it.)<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	54. Night and Day

**I was watching Cinderella and I realized how many Headaches/Disney chapters I would love to do.**

**And you shall be my guinea pigs, so to speak.**

* * *

><p>Hermione groaned as light streamed in from the window, opening her eyes before frowning and shoving the pillow over her heard. She certainly did not feel like getting up today, or rather any other day. She would like to sleep her days away and never again wake up to the nightmare that was her life.<p>

During the War, Voldemort had been defeated. But more and more Death Eaters came, and there'd been too much. To further put salt in the wound of their loss, she'd been sold as a servant to a lesser known, yet wealthy Pureblood family. Having _the_ Hermione Granger as a servant in your own home seemed a far better punishment than death for her. And, many days, this proved to be right.

She was given daily chores, the list nearly unraveling to the floor when put on parchment, and she did these things the Muggle way, as they'd broken her wand when they'd sold her away. Her hands and feet and back ached daily, and her pride had been broken long ago. The brightest witch of her age, stooped to the ground cleaning dirt off of the floors. The Slytherins in her class were probably laughing at her.

The family she'd been given to was awful. The father was never there, possibly cheating on his wife while supposing to be out on "business." The mother was cruel and would often give her more and more chores that were completely unnecessary and hard to do without magic. The daughters were her age and hateful, spoiled people, giving Hermione sneers every time she walked past.

"Mother of Merlin," Hermione groaned as she stood from her bed, stretching and yawning and looking at her appearance in the mirror. She frowned at it, her hair sticking out in weird angles and the shirt she'd been given to sleep in large and hanging awkwardly off of her as she struggled to keep it on her shoulders. She looked down at her arm and frowned at the scar before shaking her head and grabbing a brush, humming as she ran it through the snags and curls. It'd gotten long, nearly to the small of her back.

She had no idea where Harry or Ron or Ginny or any of the Weasleys were. She hoped they were still alive. She'd taken several trips through Diagon Alley and stared up at the sad Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the doors and windows boarded up and the colors seeming to have faded. Wherever they were, they weren't there.

"HERMIONE!" "HERMIONE!" "HERMIONE!" several voices called, making Hermione sigh and tug off the shirt before grabbing the dress she'd been given to work in, slipping it on and shoving her feet into the flats.

"Coming!" she called as she started the descent down the stairs. She couldn't help but sing under her breath, "Cinderellie, Cinderellie, night and day it's 'Cinderellie,' make the fire, fix the breakfast, do the dishes, do the mopping." She shut her mouth and started down another flight of stairs and found the three who called for her. "Yes?"

"Chores for you today," the oldest, the mother, said, handing her a large, rolled up piece of parchment that was triple the size of her arm.

"Hmm, seems more than usual today," Hermione noted rather dryly, "What's so special?"

"We're having a party tonight," she responded, "The house must be spic-and-span for tonight, and you must help my girls get ready, along with your usual chores."

"Better get started," the first daughter sneered in a nasal tone, "The party's at six."

"Twelve hours to get a huge house ready," Hermione sighed, unrolling it and watching the rest bounce down the stairs as the three departed to go make more messes for her. "What I wouldn't give for a fairy godmother."

* * *

><p>Hermione worked her fingers to the bone that day. She stretched and reached to clean higher places and skated on the wet floors and tried to find something quickly for her to eat before she was sent right back to work. At four, chefs arrived to cook for the event. Hermione was surprised when she saw Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas, enveloping them both in hugs and trying not to cry as they smiled down at her.<p>

"You got sold here?" Seamus asked as she mopped the floor, "Lucky."

Hermione snorted, "As if. Night and day, all I hear is – "

"_HERMIONE!_"

She sighed and looked at them wearily as Dean took the mop from her hands sympathetically, "That." She waved as she departed from the kitchen, going up the stairs and into the sitting room, where clothes were strewn about on every available surface, some even on the ceiling.

"Help us get ready," one of the sisters ordered, flinging what resembled a dress into her arms. Hermione nodded and did just that, zipping up their dresses and nearly being knocked in the face when they stepped into their heels, curling their hair and helping apply makeup.

"Mother says you're to waitress at the party," the second daughter said as she examined her hair in the mirror. "_After_ you've cleaned this mess up."

"Alright," Hermione sighed, stooping down and grabbing a basket to begin tugging things into it.

"She also left a dress in your room for you to wear," the first said. "You're to give it back after the party."

"Alright," she said. Once she'd pulled the things into the basket and carried them with her up the stairs to be folded, she grimaced at the plain, dingy white dress she was to wear. She shook her head and pulled it on, braiding her hair and twisting it up into a bun and pinning it there. Her mouth twitched at her reflection in the mirror as she tugged a wayward curl behind her ear.

Waitressing was extremely hard, Hermione decided. People bumped into her and nearly spilled things on her and yelled at her when she had to weave through other people to get to them. And it seemed as though she was the only one waitressing. She lamented to Seamus and Dean on stops to the kitchen before she was sent off again.

"And I said to him – I said – " a rather drunk partygoer said as Hermione served drinks to the adults. "I said – boy, you're a worthless piece of filth, and others of your kind died for nothing!" Hermione froze, frowning before counting to ten and getting the last drink off of her tray. "I mean, just look over there – Hermione Granger, the most troublesome one – waiting on her superiors!"

Hermione let out a fearsome growl and threw the tray at the man before she could even think. The room turned silent as she clenched her fists, "I believe you're a fool if you think of yourself as _my_ superior."

"You _Mudblood!_" the woman growled, grabbing her arm and glaring at her, "I don't know _why_ we ever wasted money on you!"

Hermione glanced over to the door to the kitchen and saw Seamus and Dean and several other cooks peeking out to look at her. "I don't know _why_ we ever stopped fighting worthless people like you!"

She growled again and tugged on the dress, not even making her jump or blink as she stared her down when it ripped.

"Worthless piece of trash," she glared before grabbing her hair and tugging it out of its hold, making her yelp and move with her head to the floor. She glared up at her as the partygoers laughed. "Just like that family of yours you seemed to like so much. Wonder where they are – tortured, servants, or dead?"

Tears stung at her eyes and she bolted out through the kitchen, Dean and Seamus attempting to grab her and stop her, but she bolted out and into the garden, taking deep breaths to try to calm herself down before finding it of no use. She broke down by the side of the fountain, sobbing as she wrapped her arms around herself and looked at her reflection in the water. Her face was splotchy and red and her hair was half out of its former hold.

"I hate my life," Hermione announced, sobbing to the sky, "I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. I want to go home – I want to be with Mum and Dad and I want Harry and all of the Weasleys and I want to be happy and safe again. The very least, I want to say good-bye to them all."

"Well, my dear, all you had to do was ask," a voice said, making Hermione gasp and turn to the woman, sitting on a bench underneath the willow tree. She seemed older, a cloak around her shoulders and a white wand in her hands. Hermione stood warily, tilting her head curiously at her. "Come, come closer," she said, patting the seat by her on the bench.

Hermione warily sat down, "Who are you, again?"

"Oh, I'm your fairy godmother," she said softly, fingering Hermione's hair.

Hermione scoffed, "No, really."

"No, really!" she smiled, "I heard you wanted to be with your friends and family again."

"Yes," Hermione nodded.

"My dear, sweet child, that's where I can help," she said, holding Hermione's shoulders, "I can make your dream come true."

Hermione stared at the woman's face before smiling a little, feeling a bubble of hope in her chest, "Really?"

"Yes – but," she made Hermione's smile drop, "It will be broken at midnight. All spells must one day be broken."

"Oh," Hermione sighed before smiling a little, "Alright, then." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, blinking them open and forcing them wider when she was no longer there. Instead, she was in the Weasley's garden, in jeans and a jumper, sitting underneath the large tree with a book in her lap. She looked around before smiling a little, closing the book before a voice captured her attention.

"Galleon for your thoughts, Love?" he asked, making her look up before beaming at Fred as he leaned against the tree trunk and looked down at her.

"Oh, Fred!" she exclaimed, jumping up and throwing her arms around his neck, nearly taking him down, "You're alright!"

"Of course I'm alright, you barmy bird," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around her, "But that was some 'hello.'" He arched an eyebrow down at her, "You alright?"

"I'm fine, perfect, brilliant," she smiled, making him blink before chuckling and pecking her forehead.

"Well, alright then," he said as she blinked up at him in confusion. "Oy, what's with that look? Can't a man kiss his girlfriend anymore?"

"His girlfr – oh, of course he can," she said, trying to squish the blush away, "If he does it properly, that is."

He chuckled and kissed by her ear, "Mum's watching through the window. Seems to think I'm about to pop the question any second though."

"Yeah, your mum," she hummed before blinking, "Did I say 'hello' to her, by the way?"

"I dunno, you got here before I did," he said, "Sorry, by the way, but you saw the shop when you came downstairs."

"You should probably get another shop," she said.

"Hey, good idea," he grinned before stooping down to speak low into her ear, "And George can live in one flat and you and I could take the other. Wouldn't have to remember about silencing charms then, would we?"

Hermione was very sure that her face was about as red as his hair, biting her lip as he chuckled and cupped her face, either not noticing or ignoring her blush and kissing her nose, "I'll see you later – Bill, Charlie, Percy, Neville and George want to play Quidditch."

"Alright," she nodded, watching him go curiously before shaking it off and going into the kitchen, where Ginny was seated at the table, talking to her mother as she cooked.

"Oh, Hermione!" Ginny said brightly, jumping up and hugging Hermione, who hugged her back just as tightly, thankful that she'd started the hug so it wouldn't look awkward when she did. "I got accepted to the Holyhead Harpies! Isn't that wonderful?"

"It's brilliant, Ginny!" she grinned before she gasped at being hoisted up off of her feet, blinking at a pair of green eyes grinning back at her. "Harry!"

"Hey!" he smiled back, "Isn't it great? I get to play Quidditch against my girlfriend this season!"

"You mean you get to be beaten by your girlfriend in Quidditch this season, right?" Ginny teased.

"Surely not!" he frowned playfully back.

Ron snorted and rolled his eyes, grabbing a roll out of the basket and taking a bite out of it before giving Hermione a one-armed hug once Harry set her back on her feet. "Ugh, they're sickening, aren't they?"

Hermione chuckled, "I dunno, I think they're being sweet."

"Ahh, what do you know, you're dating Fred for Merlin's sake," he teased, ruffling up her hair.

Molly piped up, "What's wrong with Hermione dating your brother?"

"Nothing," he shrugged, "It's just that nobody else gets how weird it is to see your siblings getting cozy with your best friends."

"Go write a book about it or something," Harry frowned.

"You know what, I will, and I'll be even more famous than you," Ron countered as he stuck his tongue out at him.

"Missus Weasley?" Hermione asked as they began to argue.

"Yes, Hermione?" she questioned.

"Did I forget something when I came here?"

"Anything in particular?" she blinked.

"A 'hello' or a hug for you, for example?"

Molly smiled, "You remembered the 'hello,' but forgot the hug." She quickly remedied that, hugging her tightly before patting her cheek, "Do me a favor and go get the boys out from Quidditch, we're ready to eat."

"Alright," she nodded, heading back outside and out to the field, ducking when a Bludger whipped past her head. She frowned as Percy sheepishly touched down and walked towards her, holding a bat and grinning.

"Sorry," he said before giving her a one-armed hug, Charlie and Bill stooping down to peck on either side of her head, Fleur patting her shoulder as George ruffled up her hair. Neville laughed at something that was said and handed her the Snitch before hugging her and making his way with the rest of them, Luna dancing up to them with Victoire on her hip. She stuffed the Snitch in her pocket, unaware as to why he'd handed it to her, but smiling none-the-less.

Fred stopped next to her and grinned, shaking his head at them, "They're all barmy – we still don't know who won or lost." He bent down to kiss her, smiling when he pulled back and walking with her back to her house.

"Hermione," Arthur said, hugging her before moving with her and Fred to step aside and let everyone sort out where they were sitting. "How's staying with the boys going?"

"Oh, uh – fine," she smiled, not quite knowing how it was going to give an honest answer.

"Yeah, we haven't pranked her at all, Dad," Fred grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist and settling his chin on her head, inadvertently tugging her into his chest. "Yet."

"There better not be a 'yet,'" Hermione huffed, making them laugh before they were ushered to sit down.

The whole dinner, Hermione couldn't stop smiling as they told stories and laughed and joked with one another. Victoire had bounded up to her after dessert to kiss her on the cheek and hug her tightly, saying that she'd forgotten to do so when she first saw her. This prompted Luna to hug her as well, who'd also forgotten.

When Harry, Ginny and Ron started leaving, Fred bid goodbye to his parents and Hermione did the same, although she didn't quite know why she was doing so until after Fred had Apparated her to the middle of the shop.

"George said he was spending the night at Angelina's," Fred murmured to her, nearly swaying with her. "That alright?"

"That's fine," she murmured back, smiling with him before he swooped down and picked her up in his arms, making her squeak and wrap her arms around his neck as he laughed and pecked her cheek. He carried her up the stairs and to the couch, where he deposited her as she laughed at him.

He gave a bow as he grinned before sitting down next to her with his arm around the back of the couch.

"You're really something different, aren't you?" Hermione asked with a grin.

He only grinned wider and started kissing up her neck, "Could be why you fancy me, huh?"

She hummed and tilted her head unconsciously, her eyes shutting and a hand moving into his hair, "Possibly."

* * *

><p>"Oof! You barmy man," Hermione laughed as Fred grinned down at her, his arms on either side of her head now as she laughed.<p>

He leaned down to kiss her, playing with the ends of her hair. He flopped off of her, looking across the bed at her and arching an eyebrow when she seemed sad.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, scooting closer to her and hugging her close.

"Oh, nothing," she smiled, pressing her ear against his heart as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Hmm," he hummed, absently playing with her hair, "I love you, Hermione."

Hermione winced and shut her eyes, burying her face into his chest a little, "I love you too, Fred. So, so much."

"Hmmn," he hummed again, moving his lips to her ear, "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Fred," she sighed.

"Have dreams about your favorite prankster," he said, making her smile a little before they both fell off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Hermione blinked her eyes open at the light streaming in before sitting up with a gasp, looking around her bed, "Oh no, oh no, no, no – please, no." She took a few deep breaths before pressing her lips into a thin line, refusing to cry. She stood and got dressed, braiding her hair back and starting down the stairs. She grabbed a broom and started to work until she looked out at the garden. She dropped the broom with a huff and walked outside, walking around the bench and biting her lip as she begged anybody at all to make her so-called 'fairy godmother' come back.<p>

After a few hours, she sat down at the bench and stared down at her feet before settling her hands in her lap. She blinked when she felt something there, moving her hand and pulling something out of her pocket. Her eyes widened when it was the Snitch, peering closely at it, as it had words written there. It said '_I open for the dream._' She curiously checked around it for more writing before finding none and sighing.

"You want to know what I dreamed about? I dreamed about being happy and safe and that somebody loved me – that's what I dreamed about," she said, frowning at the Snitch before tossing it into the fountain, pouting to herself.

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to get all of the memories out of her head before she felt somebody kissing the side of her head. She opened her eyes and blinked when she found that she was sitting on the edge of a bed, a certain redheaded prankster still lying in it, but sitting up enough to kiss her.

"Morning," he sighed as he flopped back down as she blinked and looked around.

"Uhh – g'morning," she said, wondering what the hell was going on now.

"You okay?" he muffled sleepily from a pillow, although looking up worriedly at her.

"I'm fine," she smiled, laying down with him and getting back underneath the covers as he wrapped an arm around her. She found the open Snitch on the nightstand, biting her lip before reaching forward for it and taking the small piece of paper out of it.

_It is true that spells must be broken someday, but love is quite possibly the most powerful spell that has ever been known, and can never be broken._

_That being said – welcome home, Hermione._

_Love,_

_Your Fairy Godmother_

Hermione blinked before smiling and setting it back before closing it up, mouthing out a silent 'thank you' before turning around to her sleepy partner and kissing him. He smiled and kissed her back, tugging her closer into him.

Now _this_ was a dream she could stand waking up for.

* * *

><p><strong>Ta-da! I'm planning on doing more later on, as this was actually pretty fun.<strong>

**Also – on Tumblr, I've got a Fremione RP blog for those who are interested. I'm pretty sure I've got a link – but they're fluffy and I love RPing as them.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	55. Courage

**Okay, after this one I want favorite Disney movies from you guys. Try to guess which one's mine! I wouldn't say stuff like Pocahontas or the Black Cauldron or Dumbo or anything because I remember absolutely _nothing_ about them, probably because I didn't have the tape. (And yes I'm old enough to have watched stuff on tapes, I remember waiting up to tape Cinderella because it was only on once in my entire childhood and I would probably never see it again. And then I watched it and I think I didn't like the idea of a "proper" princess and so I didn't watch it too much.) **

**If I remember nothing about something I will tell you in the next chapter.**

* * *

><p>She was meant to be a lady. A fine, proper lady, who sat up straight and walked straight and enunciated clearly and was practically perfect in every way. She was meant to be graceful and elegant and demure. That's what her parents had hoped to see her be when she'd been born.<p>

Of course, she was anything but. She sometimes slouched and sometimes mumbled under her breath and made faces and often tripped. She spoke the truth and what was on her mind, and refused to be told any different when she knew something for a fact. She was stubborn and headstrong and was a fighter, demanding and begging and pleading to learn how to fight with any weapon she could get her hands on. Her father was all for it, loving that his daughter was as strong and powerful as she was. Her mother, on the other hand, sometimes wished that she'd fit the 'lady' description.

"Hermione! Hermione!" she huffed, frowning at her daughter on her beloved horse, "Hermione Jean Granger! You have _lessons_!"

Hermione looked up from the horse and through her insanely curly brown hair and up at the window of the tower, where her mother currently stood, frowning down at her. She sighed and started to slowly steer her horse to the stable, "Hardly lessons when they're of no real use."

"Heard that!" she called, making Hermione blink before snorting and clicking her horse to go to a trot. "And ladies do _not_ snort!"

Hermione kept her mouth shut, grinning when the horse stood up and she held on tighter, laughing when it tossed his head and practically pranced into its pen. Hermione hopped off, patting down her dark green dress before snatching an apple out of a nearby barrel, handing it to her horse before grabbing one for herself. She crunched it, making her way through the castle at a leisurely pace, chucking the core away as she stepped into the lesson room.

"G'mornin', mother," she smiled easily as she looked up from the chalkboard.

"Ladies use proper words and do not squish them together," she chided, making Hermione strain to keep her smile on her face. She sighed and sat down at the table, nearly slouching and putting her elbow on the surface before she remembered. Delilah smiled at her daughter before turning back to the chalkboard, opening her mouth and getting ready to write something down when Hermione's father burst in.

"Oy, Hermione, I've just learned a new maneuver – you've got to hold your arm like this and – " he cut himself off from showing his only child this oh-so-important maneuver, glancing at his wife before smiling, "'Lo, Lilah."

"Charles, you've interrupted a lesson," she frowned as Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"So I have," he said awkwardly before looking over to Hermione, "I'll show you later."

"Ladies should not need to know how to fight, if you ask me," Delilah huffed, sending a piece of black hair up into the air with it.

"Yeah, 'cept nobody did," Charles winked at Hermione as he made his way out, not without seeing the frown intense on Delilah's face.

* * *

><p>"<em>Marriage?<em>" Hermione repeated, gaping at her mother, "Marriage? Mum, are you absolutely stark raving _bonkers_?"

"A lady does not gape nor call her mother 'stark raving bonkers,'" Delilah said before smiling, spreading out the letters as if they were playing cards, "And yes. Three young princes from neighboring kingdoms are coming to compete for your hand. Isn't that exciting?"

"Exciting? Mum, I am not some sort of prize to be won! How am I to get excited over – over selling away my freedom?" she asked. "Selling away my heart and my soul to someone I don't love!"

"You can learn to love, like I did," Delilah said.

Hermione could only gape at her mother, as how could she possibly not see how upsetting this was for her, as she stood and patted her cheek.

* * *

><p>"Stupid George. Stupid Percy. <em>Your turn to get the firewood<em> my arse. It was my turn last time and the time before that. I _hate_ chopping firewood. And it's not even close to being winter! It's _May_!" he grumbled, dragging the axe through the forest as he stomped along. He stopped and turned to a small clearing when he heard a horse thumping along before it skidding to a halt and a scream was heard. He stepped a few steps closer to the clearing as the girl flipped her hair out of her face, sobbing and frowning up at her horse.

"Judas!" she said as she stood and grabbed her sword out of his saddle, ignoring the tears in the white dress and the dirt covering it and making her way to a nearby tree. She then began to hack at it with her sword while sobbing, "I don't _want_ to get married to some _stranger_! I am not some _prize_, I am not some _lady_ to be moved to some _strange place_ that isn't _home_! I am not going through with this, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not…." She slid down the hacked tree, setting her sword down and covering her face as she cried harder. "Why can't she see that, why can't they understand…?"

Fred winced before taking a breath and stepping out into the clearing, her horse perking his head up and looking at him warily as he made his way closer. "Uhm…hullo."

She looked up and blinked at him, her eyes splotchy and red, and he saw that her hair had previously been in some sort of bun or braid, and that her dress seemed that it had probably cost a lot. He ignored it though and stepped a little bit closer.

"I couldn't help but hear you lamenting as you hacked down the tree, and I wanted to make sure you were alright," he began before arching an eyebrow, "Are you alright?"

"No," she choked out, wiping her eyes on the sleeve.

"I'm getting the sense it's about arranged marriage," he said softly, holding his axe behind him easily.

"Yeah," she muttered, hiding her mouth with her sleeves.

"Some lord, duke, baron - ?"

"Prince," she stated, effectively cutting him off.

"Heh?" he questioned smartly.

"I'm the princess, they want me to marry a prince," she said slowly.

Fred dropped the axe and took a step back, "That, I didn't know." He took a few moments before retaking his step, "I've actually never seen the princess before. Only heard the name – Herman or –"

"Hermione," she frowned.

"That makes a lot more sense than Herman," he decided. They stood there for a while before he seemed to remember something, "I'm Fred. Fred Weasley."

"Hermione Granger," she replied.

He paused for a moment before sitting in front of her, crossing his legs and looking at her curiously. "So, can you basically give me the run down on what's eating at you?"

She huffed and stood, dragging the sword as she began to pace, "She's wanted me to be a lady my whole life. I've been taking lessons on it since I could walk, like how to walk proper and talk properly and so on and so forth. Anyway, she said that three princes were coming to compete for my hand in marriage, but – "

"That's insane!" Fred piped up, his eyes wide as he whirled around to look at her, "Why would you marry someone you don't love?"

"Yes, see, thank you!" she exclaimed, "I mean it's not like – "

"You're not a bloody prize!" he nodded along with her.

"Right! And I didn't even stick around to see who won," she sighed, dropping the sword and running her hands through her hair.

Fred looked up at her before smiling and tilting his head, "D'you want to meet my family? We don't have to tell them you're, y'know, royal or anything." He stood and gave her a grin, "You can come pick on Ron with me. Ooh, and I won't have to chop firewood! That'd be great!"

She gave a watery laugh and nodded while her horse protested by nuzzling her head with his own, "Oh, Judas, shush. Stay here, don't wander away. I'll be back in a bit."

Molly Weasley was kind and she worried over Hermione a lot. She and Ginny had gotten her new clothes to wear and handed her a washcloth to scrub the dirt off of her face. She'd met George and blinked when she found that she couldn't tell him and Fred apart. Bill and Charlie were nice, but rather loud and teased their brothers, and Percy seemed rather snobbish. Ginny's fiancé was Harry, and he was nice and shook her hand and it was nearly like they'd known each other for forever, and Ron was nice but a little rude. Arthur was rather strange, but enjoyable. At the end of the day, when everyone was settling out where who would sleep and why and whatnot, Fred grabbed Hermione's hand and slipped with her outside.

"So what do you think about my insane family?" he asked with a grin.

"I really like them," she smiled back.

"Great," he smiled.

"Why is that?"

"Huh? Oh, no, that I got you to smile," he said, making her blink, "I hate when people cry. I always try to make them laugh or smile or something. It's weird."

"It's nice," she smiled before pausing a moment. He looked at her curiously before she pecked his cheek, "Thank you. You're a very good person, Fred."

He smiled back before looking worriedly at her, "What are you going to do? About the wedding and everything?"

"I don't know," she sighed, rubbing an eye, "My mother is probably throwing a fit. Whoever it is is probably throwing a fit. My dad is stuck with people throwing fits. I should probably – "

"How about you stay the night?" he asked, "I can't let you go out there all by yourself."

"But what about Judas?"

"I'll go get him, you go inside," he said, starting off down the path and urging her on when she looked worriedly at him. She headed back into the house and was urged to go to sleep in Ginny's room with her.

* * *

><p>"Come with me," Hermione pleaded, still on top of Judas and looking down at a wincing Fred, who had walked with her to the castle walls.<p>

"I dunno, Hermione," he said, "I don't think your parents will like me very much."

"Please," she pouted, making him snort and attempt to frown up at her, although with failed results.

"Fine, but if they try to kill me…" he warned before she grinned and leaned down to peck the top of his head. He sighed and climbed up onto Judas behind her, looking around as Hermione sheepishly lead the horse through the gates. She hopped down and Fred did too, leading Judas to his stable and handing him an apple.

"Miss!" Hermione's old nursemaid said, nearly tackling the poor girl in a hug, "Thank the heavens you're alive! Been gone for that long, we were so worried!"

"'Lo, Maudie," Hermione said as she pulled away and patted her arms, "Do you have any idea where my parents are?"

"Oh, yes, right this way," she said happily, grabbing her hand and towing her along, making Hermione reach back and grab Fred's. She led them to the great hall, opening the door and beaming happily. "She's back!"

"Oh, Hermione!" Delilah nearly overturned the table in her rush to her daughter, hugging her tightly and burying her face in her hair, "I was so worried."

Hermione hid her face in her mother's shoulder, hugging her back just as tightly, "I'm so sorry, Mum. I shouldn't have done that."

"Hermione," Charles said, wrapping them both up in a hug, "Thank God, you're alright."

Hermione smiled, glad to be surrounded by her parents, but froze when a new voice rang out.

"Yes, and now we can get straight on with the wedding," he said, making her pull back and blink at the newcomer. She pursed her lips and her mother saw this before acting rashly and whispering into her daughter's ear. She blinked and smiled at her before stepping away from her parents, walking gracefully to him.

"I suppose _you're_ the prince that I am meant to marry then?" she asked as she batted her eyelashes, making Fred tilt his head curiously and lean against a wall to watch.

"Indeed, and I can assure you, Miss Granger, that everything will go according to plan," he said as Fred smirked and arched an eyebrow at Hermione.

"Well, good to know!" she said before humming, "Oh, by the way, nearly forgot – " She pulled out her sword and aimed it at him, making Fred grin and Delilah wince a little, "The wedding's off. Your country tries anything with ours, I'll knock your head clean off your shoulders. Understand?"

"U-understood, m'lady," he stuttered, knees knocking together.

She smiled, "Good. Off you go now." She sighed when he scampered out of the room, stowing away her sword, "Anyone who's that pathetic to run away from a fight certainly isn't marriage material."

Fred chuckled, grinning at her and bringing her parents' attention to him.

"Hermione, who is this?" Delilah asked.

"This is Fred," she smiled before grinning sheepishly, "We're, uhm…well, we're rather together now, Mother."

"What?" Charles began as Fred grew pale and started inching towards the door.

"Well, he found me in the woods, and I stayed with him and his family for the entirety of my absence, and we rather hit it off," she grinned.

"You were gone for two weeks!" Charles crowed.

"Yeah, know that, but – "

"Oh, Hermione, this is splendid!" Delilah cried, cupping her daughter's face, "This is absolutely brilliant!"

"It is?" the three chorused, looking at her curiously.

"Yes! Oh, if I'd have known you would've picked your own husband – oh, I'm sure you'll make an excellent queen one day!"

"Queen?" Hermione and Fred said, glancing at each other nervously as Charles threw his hands in the air and shook his head at his wife. Fred sighed and shot Hermione a weary smile, telling her he'd go throw with it if he had to. She smiled back, rolling her eyes as her mother began to chatter on.

* * *

><p><strong>I knew what I wanted to do with it earlier, honest.<strong>

**Love, **

**Birdie**


	56. Rather Vorried

**Hey! So all of you gave really good guesses as to what my favorite Disney movie is. To be honest I don't really have one, it's more of a tie between Lion King, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Tarzan, Alice in Wonderland, Mulan, and…well, yeah, you can see how that'll end up. **

* * *

><p>"Look, Hermione, I really don't think it's a good idea," Ron insisted, "What does Fred think? I mean, his girlfriend going out with <em>Viktor Krum?<em>"

Hermione sighed and shelved the handful of book she had, frowning at her friend, "He's fine with it, and I'm not 'going out' with him – he's visiting from Bulgaria, I haven't seen him since Bill and Fleur's wedding."

"Hermione, you're cheating on my brother and I won't stand for it!" Ron declared, thumping his hand on her check-out counter.

"Ronald, I'm not cheating on Fred!" she yelled back, glaring at him before a hand was placed on her shoulder and she turned around, blinking at him before smiling and hugging him. "Viktor!"

"Herminny," Viktor chuckled, hugging her back, "It is good to see you."

"It's good to see you too! Here, let me just close up shop real quick and we'll go," she said pleasantly, although as she passed Ron she twisted his ear with a glare at him. Ron watched her go moodily before standing and frowning up at Viktor, and was rather depressed to find that he only came up to chest-level, but that didn't stop him.

"Look, Krum, I – "

"Veasley!" Krum said excitedly before picking him up and hugging him rather tightly, setting him back down on his feet, "Herminny said she has been vorried about you! How is your leg, she has said you limp a bit now."

Ron stared up at him very strangely before turning back to Hermione as she walked up the aisle of bookshelf. "You told him about my leg?" he asked loudly.

She rolled her eyes, "Ron, honestly, can't you behave? Come on, Viktor." And with that, they left, leaving Ron fuming and standing where she'd left him.

* * *

><p>Fred looked up at his brother in amusement, leaning against the counter of his and George's shop and trying to refrain from smiling. Ron had just told him that Hermione had gone on a date with Krum, and he'd been expecting a different reaction. Anger, sadness, disappointment, those were all good. But thinking it was <em>funny<em>?

"Fred, didn't you hear me?" Ron asked with a frown.

"Yeah, I heard you," he nodded with a grin, "Good for them."

Ron's jaw dropped and he grabbed George's arm as he passed to stare at him before looking back at Fred.

"What?" George asked curiously.

"What did you slip him? Like a Cheering Charm or something? What, what's making him act like this?" Ron questioned.

"Act like what?" George questioned as Fred only chuckled.

"Hermione's going out with Krum!" Ron insisted as George gaped and looked back at Fred.

"Mate, how are you not pissed?" he asked, "I'm pissed and I'm not dating her!"

"I know!" Ron said as Fred only laughed and shook his head at them, pushing off of the counter and going into the back room.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe she brought him here," Ron said moodily, George nodding along with him as he saw Krum greeting Missus Weasley happily, grinning brightly at Harry as Hermione reached up and pecked Fred's cheek.<p>

"The nerve," George grumbled.

"Viktor!" Fleur said happily, rushing to hug him and grinning happily as Bill looked curiously over at his grumpy brothers.

"So how are things going with work, Viktor?" Fleur asked once they'd sat down and started eating.

"They are good – ve are training for the Vorld Cup," he said with a smile.

"I know that feeling," Ginny sighed, pouting at him, "I've forgotten what my muscles feel like other than sore."

Viktor chuckled back at her, "I think I am used to it. Of course, it is not as bad as the Triwizard Tournament, at least I have that to compare it to."

"Freaking dragons," Harry muttered to himself, grinning back at Viktor and Fleur as they tried not to laugh.

"We thought you might lose a leg," Fred began, grinning at Harry and then looking curiously at George when he didn't join in, instead glaring at Krum with Ron.

"Oh honestly," Hermione sighed when she noticed what they were doing. Fred chuckled and pecked her temple before turning back to Viktor and nudging Hermione's leg with his own.

"So, Vik, how's your relationship going?" he asked, making George and Ron look curiously at one another.

"It is great," Viktor smiled back, "He is funny, I think you will like him."

"_Him?_" George and Ron echoed, Ginny choking on her food from the surprised look on her brothers' faces.

Viktor looked at their faces with a blank look before grinning back, "Herminny did not tell you?"

"No, Herminny did _not_ tell us!" George glared at her as she and Fred stifled giggles.

"_Oh_," Ron said, tilting his head back and thinking, "That's why – oh." He then started to turn red and hid his face. Hermione hid her grin in Fred's shoulder, Fred hiding his own in Hermione's hair. Viktor chuckled at them as the others laughed at Ron and George before continuing on with their meal.

* * *

><p>"For the last time, Ron, Viktor is <em>not<em> interested in you!" Hermione insisted, "Just because you're male does not mean he's attracted to you! For Merlin's sake!"

Fred, however, was enjoying this as he watched his girlfriend glare at his dense little brother, finding the whole thing amusing. Ron had given a loud sigh and frowned at her before rolling his eyes and walking out of her shop.

"You should've told him he was," Fred said, making her turn and arch an eyebrow at him, "It would've been hilarious."

She snorted before leaning down – as he was leaning against her counter – and pecking his lips. "You can tell him if you want. I don't want him mad at _me_ for telling lies."

Fred brightened and stood up, kissing her before running out after his brother, "Ron! Hey, Ron!"

Hermione laughed after him, shaking her head at her crazy boyfriend.

* * *

><p><strong>I know it's not much after a long absence, but I was watching Goblet of Fire (thank Merlin for ABCFamily and Harry Potter Marathons) and this sudden idea popped into my head.<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	57. Little Talks

**Hey! So I'm sure a lot of you have heard the song _"Little Talks"_ by Of Monsters and Men. Now I was just driving to school, minding my own business, when this song came on. Now I've heard this song dozens of times and absolutely love it, but today was different.**

**And this is the result of it.**

* * *

><p>Hermione frowned slightly, chewing on her lower lip. She'd been having trouble with sleeping, ever since the War. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept for a full night. Bags were under her eyes, and she always felt as if she wasn't fully present.<p>

The stairs creaked again and she stiffened a little, her arm inching towards her nightstand for her wand. She'd moved into that house a few months ago. Everything had finally been unpacked, and cleaned and made to look like new again, but as soon as night fell, everything would look foreign and strange to her.

The arm around her waist gave a tug, sending her into Fred's chest as he wrapped the other arm around her and buried his face into the crook of her neck. She'd thought he'd been asleep.

"Jumpy," he mumbled sleepily with a small smile.

"The stairs – " she began.

"It's the house telling you to close your eyes," he murmured, pecking her jaw. "You haven't slept in ages. Go to sleep, Hermione."

"Some days I don't even trust myself," she told him as he sighed, moving on her back so he could place his forehead against hers.

"You know it's killing me to see you this way, right?" he asked, eyes shut now, "I hate how I can't fix it."

"When I do sleep, I scream," she muttered, running her fingertips across his cheek, "I don't want to wake you."

"Hermione," he sighed again, opening his eyes now, "I don't care if you wake me. I care if you're alright or not. And that means getting a decent amount of sleep or calming you down after you've had a nightmare. You run from these things all day, you never have a chance to face them and fight them and get over them." He kissed her forehead, tugging her into his chest and murmuring into her hair, "Go to sleep. I'm right here."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, "I'll see you when I go to sleep."

He smiled a little bit more, humming a little and running his hands methodically through her hair until her breathing evened out and slowed. He placed his head on the pillow, shutting his eyes and keeping his arms wrapped around her.

* * *

><p><em>You're gone, gone, gone away<br>I watched you disappear  
>All that's left is a ghost of you<br>Now we're torn, torn, torn apart  
>There's nothing we can do<br>Just let me go, we'll meet again soon  
>Now wait, wait, wait for me<br>Please hang around  
>I'll see you when I fall asleep<br>_**I know it's not much, considering I've been gone for-freaking-EVER, but I liked it.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	58. Getting Along

**Okay, I've got a new chapter, and it'll hopefully be far longer than the last one. **

**Also – _sorry I've been gone I'm in a musical and I hurt my knee and practices and rehearsals and I have to leave thirty minutes before it starts because ugh traffic and road construction and shit._**

* * *

><p>Missus Weasley and Harry easily agreed on many things. Family was important and that the boys should be supervised at all times. That Ginny was different, and that was okay. But one thing that they agreed on fervently was that they absolutely <em>detested<em> Fred's new girlfriend.

Ever since the War and Fred's near-death experience, he and Hermione had gotten closer. She'd helped him with his injured leg, and soon enough it wasn't injured anymore. He'd helped her with opening up her own shop, and thus hung about when she wasn't hanging about at the twins'. Missus Weasley was excitedly waiting for the day when they'd sheepishly tell her that they were dating, while Harry was sighing and wishing that they'd get together already, as they flirted enough.

But then Fred had to go and be charming and flirty to someone other than Hermione, and they were both rather peeved at him.

She was taller than Hermione, but shorter than Fred, and her curls were soft and dark brown, her eyes a pale green. She dressed in skirts and dresses and batted her eyelashes and gave girly little giggles. Hermione always wrinkled her nose and politely made an excuse to leave the room whenever she entered, Harry just getting up and walking off while Missus Weasley could only pretend to clean or cook something so much. Her name was Noelle Morris, and Harry and Molly hated her. And it was noticed that Hermione hated her as well. However, the rest of the Weasleys remained oblivious, except for Fleur, who squinted and pursed her lips at her but remained silent. Charlie and Bill thought she was cool, and Percy thought she was quite smart, and George thought she was funny, and Ron thought she was pretty, and Ginny could complain to her about her brothers, as she'd apparently had three older ones herself. Teddy, however, always called her 'Nope,' which humored Harry greatly, and made Hermione smile when he'd toddle over to her and happily squeal "Minnie, Minnie, up, up, up!"

"So, Hermione," Noelle began once at the Weasleys' Sunday lunch, making the girl wince slightly over at Harry before picking her gaze up from her plate and raise her eyebrows at her, as she was chewing. "Fred tells me you have your own shop?"

Hermione started to nod, swallowing and getting ready to speak, when Fred began to excitedly talk for her.

"Yeah, it's one of the best bookshops I've seen – and that's saying something, coming from me," he said proudly, "I think she could put Flourish and Blotts out of business."

Hermione blushed when Noelle sent her a rather dirty look, although Harry sat up straighter and watched the other girl closely.

"Fred's only saying that because he helped me set up," she stated, "I need to repaint and reorganize – and I've been thinking about turning the basement over into another floor, but that would require far more shelving, and lights, and heating and cooling, and – "

"Hermione, stop thinking out loud," George interrupted with a grin, "If you want, we'll help you out."

"Yeah – we'll even drag Lee down there, too," Fred smiled.

"Ooh, Luna could paint – remember her room?" Ginny said excitedly.

"Oh, right, I forgot!" she brightened, "We could have murals and quotes from books – I could turn the basement into Wonderland!"

"What?" Noelle blinked, looking at everyone blankly.

"Oh, it's this book by Lewis Caroll – totally barmy, but brilliant," Fred answered, "Hermione made me read it."

"Hmm," Noelle hummed, stabbing at her food with a slight glare. Harry frowned at her before glancing at Missus Weasley, who was keeping her eyes fixed on her plate, while Fleur sighed loudly, rolling her eyes and sending a frown towards Fred.

"So, the new recruits are awful," Harry mentioned, making Ron groan and agree, "Hermione, d'you think you could come down and scare some sense into them?"

Hermione snorted, looking over at Harry in amusement, "Please, who would be scared of me?"

"Us," Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Ginny and even Bill and Charlie answered, making her flush a little as they laughed.

"Hermione, in seventh year, you scared Fred and I enough to reschedule pranks!" George grinned.

"We never did do that one," Fred hummed before arching an eyebrow at her, making her wrinkle her nose at him, also sticking out her tongue as he laughed.

"Remember when we accidentally turned your hair turquoise rather than Ginny's on Fred and George's birthday?" Charlie said as Bill nodded along beside him. "You're freaking _scary_."

"Not to mention all the times in Hogwarts," Ron said, Harry laughing a little.

"Remember in third year when you called Sirius '_Mister Black_'? There you were, thirteen years old – "

"Fourteen," Fred corrected.

"Fourteen years old and calling a supposed mass murderer '_Mister Black'_ and '_sir._'"

Hermione blushed again but frowned at him, "At least I did something! Look at you two, you so-called Gryffindors!"

"Oy!" Ron crowed, "My leg was broken!"

"No excuse!" Fred accused, causing everyone else to laugh, although Noelle, Missus Weasley and Fleur were frowning at their own thoughts, the latter two sharing glances before sighing.

* * *

><p>"Phone!" George called, shoving Fred out of the way as he ran to the ringing device, Ron and Charlie dashing for it as well before colliding into a heap on the floor, George flashing them a grin as he twirled the chord on his finger, "Weasley residence, George Weasley speaking, how may I help you?"<p>

George swatted at Ron as he mouthed out '_secretary_,' but listened on the other end, "_Yes, hello, is Hermione Granger there?"_

"Err, yeah, hold on – Fred, go get Hermione, it's for her," George said, making his twin sigh and walk away from Noelle before turning curiously back to the phone, "Can I ask who this is?"

"_This is Saint Josephine's Memorial Hospital_," the woman on the other end answered.

George blinked and looked at Hermione curiously as she shared the same look, walking towards him with her hands outstretched, ready to take the phone, "Alright. Here she is then." He held it out to her, opening his mouth, "It's the hospital."

"Mungo's?" she whispered, keeping her mouth away from the appropriate area of the phone.

"Saint Josephine's Memorial?" he said, making her blink before turning back to the phone.

"Hello, this is Hermione Granger?" she said before freezing on the spot, "I-I'm sorry?" Her hand was moving into her hair, "A-are you sure? Did you check? Because, you know, hospitals make mistakes and – you're sure?" Her voice was cracking, and she was breathing deeply, "Yes, I understand. Thank you. Thank you for calling. G-goodbye." She slammed the phone on the receiver and let out a sob, George rushing to her side immediately.

"Hermione?" Charlie asked worriedly as she slid down the wall, pulling her knees to her chest and crying earnestly.

"Hermione, come on," Fred said, moving to her and rubbing her back, "Tell us what happened."

"My – my father, he had a – heart attack and – he passed away," she cried, allowing Fred to pull her into his chest and rock a little with her.

"What's wrong with Hermione?" Harry asked, standing in the doorway, looking questioningly at everyone except Noelle.

"Her dad died, Harry," Ron murmured. Harry blinked before moving to her, sitting down on the other side as she continued to cry.

"He – he didn't even remember me," she sobbed, wiping her face and looking at Harry with shiny eyes, "I – I just had their papers list me as a n-next of kin w-when I relocated them to Australia."

"Shh, shh, I'll take you home," Harry said, standing and dragging her up with him, looking over at the Weasleys, "Tell the others?"

"Yeah," Fred nodded, watching them go before looking over at George, "Poor Hermione."

"Hmm," Noelle hummed with a frown.

* * *

><p>Ginny worriedly eyed Hermione's seat, then Harry, and then Noelle, whom he was glaring at as the brunette chattered away happily with her family. She glanced at Fleur and saw that she had her lips pursed, bouncing Victoire on one knee and running her hands through a pouting Teddy's hair. Missus Weasley snorted softly at something the young woman had said, rolling her eyes and fiercely stabbing at something with her fork.<p>

"So – Harry, where's Hermione?" Fred asked suddenly, making Ginny narrow her eyes a little as Noelle lost her smile and frowned, glaring at her fork.

"Ahh – sick," Harry answered, looking at Noelle as if he wished she would suddenly combust into flames. "Didn't want to get everyone else sick."

"She was sick last week," Fred frowned.

"And the week before that," Ginny muttered, watching Noelle as she lifted her head a little, a smug smirk on her face. Ginny was finally catching on, and was frowning at the girl across from her while gripping her fork.

"Perhaps she's gotten busy," Noelle said.

"If she was busy, she'd say she was busy," Fleur snapped, making Bill blink at her before she gave a loud sigh and rolled her eyes.

"Well, perhaps she doesn't want to hang around anymore," Noelle stated.

"Rubbish," Percy snorted, cleaning her classes with the hem of his shirt, "Hermione's practically part of our family. If she didn't want to 'hang around' anymore, I'd be very concerned that she was under the Imperius Curse."

"She'd do anything for us," Charlie stated.

"Remember when we thought Fred was gone, and we were all sitting in this little corner of the Great Hall – Harry too – and then Hermione gave out this really high pitched scream and she practically tackled Fred when she found out he was alive?" Bill grinned.

"I still think she broke my rib," Fred declared, although he was smiling fondly.

"I think I'm going to check up on her," Harry said, standing from the table and looking pointedly at Noelle, "Let her know somebody cares about her." He grinned and grabbed Teddy, making Fleur smile at him. "C'mon, let's go put some color back into your hair, Teddy."

"Where go?" he asked curiously as they headed towards the backdoor.

"To see Hermione," he smiled.

"Yay, Minnie!" he beamed, his hair immediately becoming bright pink, "Love Minnie!"

* * *

><p>"Minnie, why you crying?" Teddy asked, making her look up from her position on the floor with her back against her check-out counter, blinking at the little boy before smiling and grabbing him to settle him in her lap.<p>

"Well, Teddy, somebody said something very mean to me, and I'm still upset," she said. She moved her head against Harry's shoulder without even turning to check if it was him.

"What say?" Teddy asked curiously.

"She said that I meant nothing to the Weasleys," she whispered, shutting her eyes and refusing to let more tears spill out, "She said that I was going to end up alone. She said she'd take away somebody I care very much about, and that I'd never see him again."

Harry stood, his lips pursed, and glanced at Hermione, "Think you can watch Teddy for a few minutes?"

"Oh, Harry, don't – " but he'd gone and cracked away anyway, glaring at the door to the Burrow before marching in, reaching down at the dinner table and grabbing Noelle's arm.

"Ow, Harry," she whined a little.

"C'mon, witch, we're gonna have a chat," he said, towing her up as Fred gaped and scrambled after them, the rest of the Weasleys sharing wide-eyed looks, except for a smug Molly, Fleur and Ginny.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Fred frowned at him.

"Tell him what you did," Harry demanded, glaring at Noelle.

"Harry, I have no idea what you're talking about," she insisted innocently.

"Tell Fred what you said to Hermione," he growled.

Fred paused and looking curiously to Noelle, "What'd you say to Hermione?"

"I didn't say anything!" she yelled.

"She's sitting in her shop crying her eyes out over nothing then?"

"Hermione's crying?" Fred blinked, as Hermione never cried unless something very bad happened.

"Fred! Who would you rather believe – me, your girlfriend, or then?" Noelle frowned.

"Them," he answered without hesitating, "Now spill it."

"All I hear is 'Hermione this, Hermione that,'" she scoffed, "Really, how could anybody who has no idea how to fix their hair be so important to you lot? She's bratty, she's a prude, and – "

"Just shut up, right now," Fred demanded, making Harry smirk at him and lean against a wall, "Look, Hermione is a brilliant person, and you get no right to say any of that to her."

"Please, I didn't tell her that," she snorted, rolling her eyes, "I told her that she needed to back off and step down and just go away."

"She said that I was going to end up alone. She said she'd take away somebody I care very much about, and that I'd never see him again," Harry recited as Fred glared at Noelle, who had gone pale. "It seemed that you were having trouble remembering the correct thing, so I helped."

"Noelle," Fred said coldly, "You can get out, and you can take all of your shit back and give me my shit back, and I don't _ever_ want to see you anywhere _near_ my family again."

"What's with you and that stupid little witch anyway?" she screeched.

"She was the first person I saw when I woke up after the Battle, she's the one who helped me with my leg, she's the one who opened up and let me get to know her, she's the one who has been so beaten and battered and still knows how to smile, and she's the one who – " Fred cut himself off, although Fleur cleared her throat with Ginny, Molly, and George grinning back at him.

"Say it, Freddie," Fleur prompted. "You can do it – you'll feel better."

He sighed and shrugged, "Fine – I love her." George high-fived Ginny while Molly high-fived Fleur, Harry chuckling under his breath as Noelle turned a strange shade of purple and marched out the front door. "Now – Potter, you said she was in her shop?" he said, turning to the younger man.

* * *

><p>"They're late again," Ginny sang quietly, setting the table as Molly glanced at the clock and smiled a little when the two arrows still pointed at <em>Home.<em>

"George did say they'd be a while," Molly reminded her.

"I know, but you'd think they'd know enough of the inside of each other's mouths by now."

"Ginny!" she admonished as she cackled a little, Fleur arching an eyebrow at her sister-in-law before rolling her eyes and smiling.

"They are married, Ginny," Fleur reminded her.

"Uhh, I know, I was a bridesmaid – although Harry and Ron were the maids of honor," she snickered as she remembered her brother and husband glaring at George and Charlie for laughing about it.

"Hi, we're here!" Fred said, stepping in from the living room and pecking his mother on the cheek, ruffling up Ginny's hair and giving Fleur a grin.

"Now what took you two so long?" Fleur smirked back as Ginny waggled her eyebrows.

"Nah, just me here," he said as he checked what was on the stove, "The two should be here soon enough though."

There was a large crash as Molly dropped the pan, whirling around and looking wide-eyed at her son as he tried to restrain the small smile on his face.

"Fred Weasley," she began as he turned to her and gave an innocent grin, "If you're joking, I will throw something at you."

"Don't kill the father!" he yelped, rushing back to the living room once he heard the flames, "Hermione, save me with your pregnancy!"

"Fred, you ruined it!" she crowed back, grinning sheepishly as Ginny bounced towards them, the smile huge on her face as Molly seemed close to tears. "Uhm – we were going to tell everyone at dinner." She shot a glare over her shoulder, where Fred's eyes were peeking out as he wrapped his arms around his wife's stomach.

He then gave her a cheeky grin and tilted her, pecking her hair, "I love you!"

She snorted, rolling her eyes, but grinned anyway.

* * *

><p>"So, Hermione," Fleur began once she saw that Harry was taking a drink, "Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?"<p>

Harry's drink then came flying back out as he coughed and hacked, the other members of the Weasley clan gaping at Hermione and Fred.

She blushed and pursed her lips before answering, "I hope it's a girl."

"You're _pregnant_?" George crowed, eyes wide before he threw a roll at Fred, "You ass, you didn't tell me!"

He laughed back and grinned wider, glad to see that chaos had been made. He glanced back at Hermione and saw that she had her face buried in her hands, making him smile and kiss the top of her head as he towed her into his side. "Love you."

She sighed and dropped her hands, smiling a little as Arthur hugged Molly, "Love you too."

* * *

><p><strong>Hi, I know, it could've been better, but <em>– uggh just got back from rehearsal and my knee hurts like hell.<em>**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	59. No Regrets

**Hey! Sorry I haven't updated – it's been an ****_extremely_**** busy summer!**

* * *

><p>Fred Weasley never regretted many of his actions, especially actions that lead to some of the greatest things that had ever happened to him. He never regretted turning Hermione Granger's hair blue, which lead to her yell at him for three hours before crying over her hair. Fred, in a strange act of comfort, knelt down to her and awkwardly patted her back, promising that he'd fix it if she would come to the workshop with him. Long story made short, she fixed one of the products that he'd been having a problem with; he kissed her in an act of excitement, then figured out that he didn't want to stop kissing her. All while her hair had been blue. He never regretted sheepishly asking Hermione three years after getting together if they wanted to get married, and he never regretted the fact that she grinning and beamed brightly and he'd twirled her around so fast that he hurt his back a little. He never regretted agreeing to start a family with her, although he did withhold the information that twins ran in the family. He never regretted marrying her when she twirled her hair around on a finger, watching his reaction after telling him she was pregnant.<p>

He suddenly regretted not telling her that twins ran in the family when they went to St. Mungo's to check on the baby – well, _babies_ – and the Healer had informed Hermione. She had pursed her lips, glanced at Fred, and hummed out an "I see" and hadn't said a word since. George had seen them come in the flat, grimaced, and mumbled out something about going to the Burrow.

Hermione set down her bag and gripped the back of one of the dining chairs, tongue in her cheek, looking up at Fred as if she had loads to say to him. Sensing that this would take a while, Fred sat down and patiently waited for her to begin.

"I can't believe you," she murmured before blinking, "I mean – honestly! You didn't even _tell_ me? I'm your wife, let alone that I'm the one giving _birth_ to the twins! What, did you think I wouldn't notice that there were two of them? Honestly, Fred, this is something you would've done at Hogwarts."

"If we were planning on having children at Hogwarts, then loads of things wouldn't have been right," he interjected.

"Really though! Something's not right with you – what was going through your head that you wouldn't tell me? You had plenty of opportunities – not that you wait for opportunities to present themselves – or was this what you were planning? Just to be all – 'surprise! You get two for one!'"

Fred ducked his head and became extremely fascinated with one of his shoelaces. Hermione quirked an eyebrow and sighed, pulling out a chair and sitting there, reaching her hand out for his. "I thought you wouldn't want them."

"What?" she blinked.

"If you knew that there was a probability of having twins, I thought you wouldn't want them," he repeated quietly.

"Fred, I…why would you think that?" she asked.

"Well, you've seen my mum – seven kids. If George and I had only been one, then there would've been six, and we wouldn't have gotten into as much trouble as we did. We were two when Ron was born, and three when Ginny was, she never really got a chance to sit down and breathe, let alone sleep, plus Bill and Charlie and Percy got into their own stuff. Twins are a handful, and I was worried you wouldn't want to have kids with me."

"Fred," she sighed, standing up to sit in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I'm only upset that you didn't tell me when you _knew_ it was a possibility, not that we're having twins. Merlin, two babies at once! Isn't that brilliant! I mean, granted, it's going to be work, but we'll space the kids out and – "

"Whoa, whoa, Hermione, you're sounding like you wouldn't mind having more after having these two," Fred blinked.

"We talked about having more than two," she smiled and quirked an eyebrow. "We just didn't plan that the two would decide to come at once."

"You're not mad over the twins?" he arched an eyebrow.

"Like I said, I'm mad you didn't tell me," she smiled, "I was wondering what it'd be like if we had twins."

He started to grin as well, "What if they turn out like George and I?"

"Then you and George are going to get an earful – well," she tilted her head, screwing up her face, "George'll get half of what you do." Fred chuckled and pecked her, one hand placed on her stomach, blinking when something hit his hand. Hermione grinned as Fred's eyebrows arched wider and he began to grin brilliantly. "Hermione, the baby – " He stopped when Hermione sucked in a breath and placed a hand not too far from where Fred's was. "They're both kicking?"

"Oh, Merlin, this is going to be fun," she sighed, running a hand through his hair, smirking a little, "You owe me."

"I'll let you pick out one of the names – within reason," he frowned when she perked up, "We're not having a baby named Bilbo."

"Oh, but I love names from books!" Hermione pouted, before huffing, "Fine, but you can't make it outlandish and eccentric."

He chuckled and pecked the tip of her nose, "Alright. We'll alternate babies – I'll get a first and a middle name, you get a first and a middle name."

"Sounds good," Hermione hummed, laying her head on his shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Alice – Alice, love, come here," Fred chuckled, reaching for the toddler and pulling her up and into his lap, wrapping his legs around her. Hermione and Atticus – who had, surprisingly, been named by Fred, as Hermione had left the book open and he'd read it and liked the name – were curled up in the rounded chair, asleep, while Alice was looking innocently up at him as she played with her blocks.<p>

Fred never regretted arguing with Hermione over who would stay home to watch the kids. It was actually a weird way about it – Hermione wanted to stay home and Fred wouldn't have it, he knew how much she loved making a difference, and so he offered to stay home, but Hermione wouldn't have _that_ – his joke shop was his dream. They compromised – they'd switch every month on who would stay at home. Finally, after a while, Hermione had quit the Auror department, saying that it was far too stressful anymore, and opened up a bookstore not too far from Fred's shop, leaving a whole new loft for the family to move into, giving George his space. They were working on expanding it, making their home (and part of Hermione's shop – not that she noticed) bigger for when they expanded their family. For now, though, it was plenty big enough, the two little ones having their own rooms.

"Da'ee," Alice cooed, snuggling into his chest as he lay down and stretched out on the couch, running his fingers through her straight red hair. Poor Atticus had gotten Hermione's brown and curly hair, although it was horribly adorable on him.

Fred sighed and continued to keep Alice constrained on top of him. Soon enough, she was asleep, leaving him to his own thoughts. They'd need to re-do the stones around the fireplace. The kitchen could handle being remodeled. They were still toddler-proofing everything, so any corners or doors or drawers would need to be warded from the curious fingers. Plus, they'd need to bring the nursery back to its former glory – Fred just hoped it wouldn't be another set of twins. Having two kids was great, but their individual personalities was what made him love them both.

"Hey," Hermione whispered, Atticus tugged up into her chest, her own hair disgruntled, "I'll put her to bed in a second."

"I've got it," Fred smiled as she walked into Atticus's room, setting him in the crib as he stood and moved to put the little girl in her own crib. When he walked back out, he flopped onto the couch next to his wife, sighing in contentment and laying his head on her shoulder, grinning when her hand absentmindedly ran through his hair.

Nah, he wouldn't regret doing any of it.

* * *

><p><strong>It's not much, but it's something. And I missed you guys so much!<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	60. Of Their Age

**I found this on tumblr and I didn't know I needed it**

* * *

><p><em>Many people say that the first snowfall could be a sign of…<em>

There it was. That _sound_ again. Fred released a forceful huff of air and dragged his hands across his face, trying to focus on his book. Dear _Merlin_, did this girl ever stop laughing?

He wasn't quite sure what had happened. George had dragged him along, insisting that his twin go and get some sunlight, but Fred had requested that although he liked Quidditch, he didn't really like being a spectator. This had gotten the twins into an argument on Fred trying out for the Quidditch team, George bringing up his fellow teammates and how good they were.

"Oy, Weasley!" she'd called, up above, and Fred had to look up to see her hanging onto a broom, grinning brightly down at them, her hair a golden halo. "You gonna save my arse this game? Bludger almost knocked out a tooth last time – wouldn't know how to explain that one to my parents!"

"Yeah, 'cause your arse is worth saving!" George called sarcastically.

She snorted and stood on her broom, much like a surfboard, and stuck her tongue out, Fred sucking in a breath when she tipped forward before she rolled onto the grass, her broom not too far behind. She sat on her bottom and grinned, grass in her hair, dressed in Quidditch gear before Harry helped her up and patted her shoulders before he moved to get dressed. Hermione was a common figure in his life, an acquaintance who he got along well with, but nothing more.

"Fred, I am so terribly sorry," Hermione told him as he blinked.

"What for?" he asked.

"That you have a git for a twin," she concluded, making him snort and try to hide a laugh, looking over at George's glare and laughing, tossing her head back as she picked up her broom, chuckling while she saluted and moved back to the stadium.

Ever since then, he'd been plagued by that damn laugh. It was a wonder he was getting any work done.

"Hey," she said, moving to the chair next to him, crossing her legs and making him nearly slam his face into his book, as she had very nice legs and the jeans didn't exactly hide them. "What're you reading?"

"Ahh – History of Magic textbook," he answered with a blink as she settled her chin in her hands and looked up at him with big brown eyes.

"Are you doing homework?"

"Err – no, just…uhm…."

"What's it about?" she asked.

"It's boring," he said, shaking his head, starting to move to relocate to the boys' dorms.

"Nah – I wanna hear about it," she smiled, a dazzling grin, "If it's interesting enough to read about for fun, then it should be interesting."

He blinked before smiling back at her.

* * *

><p>"No, no, you have to – hah – you have to keep your head down, or it's going to get knocked clean off," she instructed, bending down to accommodate the height of the younger child she was teaching, a cousin of the Weasleys', standing in the field with the wind blowing lazily through her hair.<p>

It wasn't a big party, just a small gathering, and there were a couple of Fred's cousins – male, and older – watching her teach their little sister how to play Quidditch with a patronizing stare. They would turn and chuckle to each other and roll their eyes when she seemed to know what she was talking about, and it was enough to make Fred snap his book shut, wrap the abnormally long ribbon to mark his place around it, stand from the base of the tree trunk, and yell out, "Heads up!"

He watched as his book sailed through the air with more force than necessary, Hermione not even glancing up as she held up her hand and the loud slap of skin against bound leather reverberated through the air. Fred's cousins, including Lucy, stared in awe before the youngest male strode over to her and stood next to his sister to learn while the others shrunk against a small cluster of trees.

Fred grinned and sat back down, leaning on his palms, watching as she talked, eyes trained on the faces of her new pupils, holding the book to her chest protectively.

George flopped down next to him, breathing heavily with his skin sticky with sweat, a massive grin on his face before he caught his breath and sat up next to Fred. It often shocked people, including members of their family, when Fred and George branched off in some areas. They calmly explained to people that just because they looked alike, it did not mean that they had to act alike. They had many common interests, yes, and practically stuck to one another every day, but two people were never entirely alike.

"You know," George said lightly, "I think if you stare at her hard enough, she'll burst into flames. Poof! Fiery Granger."

"What?" Fred blinked.

"Mate," George turned and snorted dully at him, "You have been staring at her for roughly six months, give or take."

"I have not been staring," he whispered angrily.

"You've been staring," Harry commented as he passed by, George pointing in his general direction and nodding vigorously.

"I have not!" he insisted before she approached, smiling and handing his book back to him.

"Thanks – your cousins were being awful," she sighed before sitting down next to him, smiling in the sunlight, allowing it to bring more freckles to grace the apples of her cheeks and on her nose. He blinked when George jabbed him in the ribs, grinning at him before he scrambled and stood up to head into the house, ruffling up Fred's hair.

* * *

><p>"Hey, look at me."<p>

She looked up at him, eyes red from crying, all emotion gone and only glassy orbs staring back at him as he cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him as the clock ticked on the mantle.

He smiled and moved his hands to hers, pressing his fingers into her palms. She'd been through hell with Harry and Ron on the run, he realized, and she had many scars on her face and arms, especially the word carved into her wrist, which he smoothed his thumb over.

"I'm alright," he promised.

"But I thought you weren't," she croaked.

"But I am now," he insisted, moving a hand up to swipe at the tear. "If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't be."

She gave a sniff and rubbed at an eye, "I just…knew how to take care of it." Her eyes flicked to the large gash on his shoulder, wrapped tightly with gauze, potions running through his system to heal the wound.

"Yeah," he grinned, his fingers moving on their own will and running through her hair, making her lean into his touch. "You were brilliant. You _are_ brilliant."

She gave a soft laugh, some of the light coming back into her eyes, and he grinned even wider before his fingers moved out to prod her stomach, making her suck in a breath before she gave a scream, glad that everyone was using silencing charms, before she laughed, making him laugh as well, glad to hear the sound as she curled up into his chest and begged him to stop. He finally did, sitting with her on the couch, still wrapped up in his arms.

"You going to be okay?" she asked, muffled against his shirt, her eyes growing heavy and her voice quieting.

"I'm going to be fine," he answered, pausing before continuing. "Are you?"

She snorted and lifted her head with a grin, "You kidding? I'm the Bravest Witch of My Age."

"Doesn't mean you can't be hurt or in pain," he pointed out.

She smiled and pecked his cheek, "I'll be fine."

* * *

><p>"So, okay, wait…uhm – this wasn't in any books or anything when I grew up. What the <em>hell<em> is this?"

"Y equals mx plus b? Slope-intercept form, rise over run?" she paused from scribbling down Quidditch notes before grinning over at her husband and son, who were staring at her blankly. "What? It's simple algebra."

"Algebra is never simple," John insisted with a glare while Clare grinned and sat on top of the couch, polishing her broom, her curly red hair tied at the nape of her neck.

"Well, that's what you get for having smart parents," Hermione pointed out with a smile.

"You know, I think your title should have been Brightest Witch of Her Age," Fred said with a grin, moving from crouching over his son's work.

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes, leaning back in the dining chair as Fred moved to her. "_What_? That never would've caught on."

"I think you might be surprised," Fred shrugged before kissing his wife, John grumbling and moving to his room, Clare with her back turned.

"Besides," she continued when they broke apart, "You were the one with your nose in a book."

"Hey, it's what you do with it that makes the difference," he smiled, "You know that theory going around, where there's an alternate universe, from all of the choices you made and everything?"

"Yeah, and it sounds like a load of rubbish," she snorted, chin in her hand. Fred snorted as well, standing to make tea, kissing the side of her head.

"You're the Most Stubborn Witch of Your Age, no matter where you are, I'll give you that," Fred mumbled, laughing when she tossed a crumpled up piece of paper at his head, making her fight a smile when she heard it.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay so in case you haven't noticed I haven't updated much of anything later, except for a couple of SupernaturalHP crossovers where I wrote a few chapters ahead and now I've used those up. **

**Anyway, this one was where Hermione played Quidditch and Fred was the bookworm instead, inspired by a post on Tumblr, and I'm quite happy with it, although it's not the best, but hey, I'll improve.**

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	61. It's Like You've Gone Away

**Hey guys, I'm sorry it's been a while, but I went and saw _Frozen_ with my friend Bekah recently, and also got out for Christmas break, and I've gotten my spirits lifted from the movie and companionship, and a little bit of time freed up. This may be my last story written for Headaches at sixteen, but definitely not ever! No matter how gone I may seem, never give up on me, my lovelies!**

**Now, this has some very spoilery _Frozen_ spoilers. Nothing too major, but it will give you a heads up in the movie theatre on when you're about to cry. This is also AU.**

* * *

><p>"C'mon, Freddie, snow day!"<p>

Fred Weasley hopped up out of bed, scrambling into his – or was it George's? – snow trousers and sweater and boots, slipping into a puffy jacket as George tugged a hat over his head before Fred tossed the mittens to his twin, hearing the clumping of his siblings as they all scattered outside as well. Fred and George raced down the hallway before he skidded to a stop, directly in front of a door, and George stood at the end of the hall to wait for him and give him a bit of privacy.

See, the thing about this door was that it held an eight-year-old little girl, two years younger than him, who he used to be very best friends with. When her family had been killed by Death Eaters, she'd come to live with the Weasleys, and had stuck around Fred and George every day. A couple of months ago, she had stopped coming out of her room, which was painted with golden swirls on the frame.

Tentatively, he raised a gloved fist and knocked a cheery pattern on the door. "Hermione? Do you wanna build a snowman? Come on, let's go and play. I never see you anymore, come out the door – it's like you've gone away!" He dropped to his knees and tried peeking through the crack under her door. "We used to be best buddies, but now we're not." He lifted himself and grimaced at the door, "I wish you would tell me why." He peeked through the keyhole, grinning when he saw movement, "Do you want to build a snowman?" He pressed his mouth to the keyhole as well, "It doesn't have to be a snow_man_!"

"Go away, Freddie," she called out from behind the door, making Fred falter and stand with slumped shoulders.

"Okay, bye…" George grimaced as he saw his twin's sullen face, clapping him on the back and giving a sympathetic smile before letting out a war cry of "SNOW DAY" as he leapt down the stairs.

* * *

><p>Hermione curled in on herself, sitting on the window seat, watching the redheaded children playing, throwing snowballs and – yes, there they were – making snowmen. She shifted off of her ankles, placing her hands on the windowsill, and gasped when the golden wisps spread out from where they'd touched the wood.<p>

She didn't know where it came from, had no way of finding an explanation for this malady. Perhaps her parents, but of course she had no one to talk to about it. Arthur and Molly Weasley had begrudgingly agreed to let Hermione shut herself up in her room, to protect the Weasley children.

"Don't let them in, don't let them see," Hermione murmured as she took the sleeve of her sweater and wiped the golden spray off of the windowpane.

Fred, who had been looking up, grinned and waved exuberantly at her. She gave a small smile and waved back before her eyes widened at something he couldn't see, and she ripped the curtains to shield her from his gaze.

* * *

><p>"Hermione?" Fred called desperately to the thirteen year old, "Do you wanna build a snowman? Or ride our bikes around the halls? I think some company is overdue, I've started talking to the pictures on the walls." He nodded to Joan of Arc, who had arched an eyebrow at him, "Hang in there, Joan." She smiled and gave a thumbs up, and he turned back to the door. "It gets a little lonely, all these empty rooms, just watching the hours tick by." Bill, Charlie, and Percy had all left the house and gotten jobs, and Ron was out in the Muggle world with his friend Harry, who was also Ginny's boyfriend. George was currently waiting at the end of the hallway, dully watching to see if a change would occur.<p>

Fred sighed when he was met with silence, George pursing his lips and standing to take his shoulder and drag him away, unaware that a little bookworm was leaning against the door and stifling her tears as she hugged herself.

* * *

><p>"Hermione?"<p>

Hermione lifted her head and stared ahead of her, at the falling snow from her window, and covered her mouth with her hand as tears threatened to fall.

"Please, I know you're in there. People are asking where you've been." There was a thud and he slid down the door, unknowingly back to back with her. "They say have courage and I'm trying to, I'm right out here for you, just let me in. We only have each other…it's just you and me. What are we gonna do?"

Hermione curled her knees tighter to her chest, looking around her room and seeing that the golden curse had spiraled out from her emotions. She sobbed, and there was movement on the other side of the door.

"Do you want to build a snowman?" he asked brokenly, and Hermione sobbed again, reaching up and unlocking the door, opening it and showing her tears and the gold to a one-eared, crying Weasley. He blinked at seeing her for the first time in nine years before she had catapulted herself into his arms, sobbing and crying and nodding fiercely.

* * *

><p>George turned away from the grave, now neighboring a snowman encased in golden blasts, waiting under a tree and watching as Hermione sobbed her heart out, gold spreading and cracking from where she kneeled, moving to her when it got close to his feet.<p>

"Come on," George said, gently guiding her to stand as she shivered and sniffed, wiping her tears away when George winced at the name. "Let's go see if we can clean your room up." He turned her away, guiding her back to the house, rubbing her back as she muttered and chattered out "Don't feel, don't feel, don't feel…."

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry if you got to miss out on a chapter for spoilers, but you should go see the movie ASAP! I might've made this sadder than I needed to though…whoops.<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


	62. The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway

**So quite a few people were asking for a sequel to the Frozen chapter, and seeing as I am _in love_ with this movie, I agreed. And since I love _Let It Go_ with a passion, it'll have quotey songy things from that. It's probably not as good as the last one though. **

**However (and you're free to skip this if you so choose) I have to make something clear. "Emus" has been taken down because no matter how inoffensive (that's a word, right?) I intended it at the time, it really disturbed and offended and hurt some people. And I went back and read it and it hurt me too. See, I was like fucking fourteen when I wrote that. I had _no_ idea what some people went through. I had no idea what _I_ would go through. Just…shit, guys, not to bum everyone out, but I actually recently thought of just how to make all the shit I was going through _stop_. And it got pretty bad. I am horrified that I actually posted that _and thought it was a good idea and that I was right_. That I wasn't hurting anyone. I want to purge any traces of that chapter, but there's 61 (62, now) chapters that I can't go through or get rid of. So I just want to say that I'm sorry. I make mistakes. I'm _wrong_. I'm imperfect, but _I'm trying_. God, I suck. **

**Okay. Now that I've apologized and called myself a doodyhead on the Internet, here's the sequel!**

**_EDIT:_ Apparently this is way more AU than the last one. Fuck. Sorry, it follows but it's got some inconsistencies. Whoops. My bad.**

* * *

><p>Hermione stood at the window overlooking the courtyard, where George was dancing around and dragging passing waiters into it. It was supposed to be a joyous day, one with celebration and dancing, and George had the right idea about it, but all Hermione could think about was how much could go wrong.<p>

Hermione had won the war for them. Nobody knew how, other than George, but she was being praised. Celebrated. Elected. She'd tried arguing, but everyone had decided that she would be the government head of the Ministry. They'd gotten rid of the Minister title. She was Queen of the Ministry of Magic. She was going to puke if anyone called her that. She hadn't gone to school, she'd stayed in her room for nine years and taught herself. The only friends she had were the ones before she locked herself up. Just the one.

George was the only Weasley left. Fred and everyone else was gone. George was her advisor, and he was running around in the tunic and pants and boots, flicking his cape around gallantly as he danced. She quirked a small smile before turning to her mirror, slowing pulling her gloves off and gripping her wand and the Ministry seal. She sucked in a deep breath and held it in, whimpering when the gold began to creep up the seal and her wand. She released the breath and set them both down, back on the small pillow, and shoved her hands back into the gloves, looking worriedly at her reflection.

"Don't let them in, don't let them see. Be the good girl you always have to be. Conceal, don't feel, put on a show," she said before sighing, "Make one wrong move and everyone will know." She smoothed down the dress, a deep red with – and this was ironic – gold accents, her cape long and weighing her shoulders down, the small crown perched behind her bangs but in front of the wound up braid.

"Miss?" one of the Aurors asked, "Are you ready?"

She nodded, "Tell the guards to open up the gate."

* * *

><p>"Here, I'll take them," George offered, holding his hands out for the gloves, giving her a calming smile as she faltered and tugged them off, placing them in his palm and holding the seal and the wand with a tight grip. She turned to face the gathered Aurors, Ministry workers, and press, giving a feeble smile before quickly settling them back onto the pillow and taking her gloves from George.<p>

"You'll be fine," he mouthed, although her heart was beating too fast to hear him.

Throughout the night, she was taking deep breaths to calm her heart rate, but at least George was having fun, bouncing back every once in a while to inform her of some sort of shenanigan he'd partaken in before bouncing off again.

The last time she'd seen Fred was when he was ten. Big ears, wide grin, and messed up hair. George had said they looked identical up until his ear had been blown off, and they'd both been trying to grow out their hair to continue fooling people, but now it was really of no use. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't picture Fred grown up, bouncing around with George, although that was how it was meant to be. She kept seeing the little boy, knocking at her door, asking if she wanted to build a snowman or ride a broom with him.

She should've opened the door.

"Miss Granger!" one of the pompous Department heads greeted, making her give a very weak smile, "Congratulations are in order!"

"Thank you," she said politely.

"You know, it really is quite admirable, what you did," he continued, "Saving everyone and everything."

_Not everyone._ "It was nothing, really." _"Hermione? Do you wanna build a snowman?"_

"No, no, it was really quite something! Tell me, how did you do it?"

"I – uhh…don't feel comfortable sharing that." _"Come on, Hermione, you've been in there for ages. It's your birthday – I snuck out of Hogwarts to come here. Please, come out."_

"Oh, well, at least you didn't lose anyone important."

_"Hermione…please…you're my best friend. I don't even care if you don't want to see me, I'll respect that, but please just tell me why. What did I do that was so bad to keep you locked up in here forever?"_

"I – I need to go now," she decided, moving off of the platform to go find George, but was stopped when someone gripped her wrist and tugged the glove off. "Please, give that back."

"Why do you wear these? It's quite warm in here!"

_"Freddie!" she'd catapulted into his chest and he'd flown backwards, coughing before wrapping his arms and legs around her, tickling her and laughing as she screamed and giggled, trying to pry her way out. _

"Give it _back_," Hermione insisted, "Please."

"You really need to loosen up; it is a party after all."

She glared and clenched her fists, "Party's over."

The man blinked and gaped, "You can't do that!"

"Watch me," she growled, "Give me back my glove."

"You're so uptight!"

_"Hermione, come on, let it go, whatever I did, just let it go! I'm sorry!"_

"I said – _give it back!_" She gasped when golden spikes jutted from the ground, George rushing through the stunned crowd to stand next to her, holding her face and trying to speak to her, but then everyone was talking and yelling at once.

"She's a demon! She's going to kill us all!"

"No, she wouldn't!" George argued back.

"Not if we kill her first!"

"No, stop it – you're making it worse, you idiots!" George stated, skating on the gold, losing his footing as Hermione took off towards the doors. "Wait, no – Hermione!" He struggled to get traction, hopping past the splotches of gold, running after her and into the blizzard outside. "Hermione! Hermione, come back, they can't hurt you!"

"Just leave me alone!" she cried back, moving backwards onto the lake, blinking when it turned gold underneath her feet, holding her up above the ice. "Please, George, just leave me alone." She turned and ran, George moving to go after her before somebody gripped his cape and tugged him back.

"Weasley, you don't know what she'll do," Draco frowned.

George shook his head, waving a hand to the pompous Department head. "Hermione wouldn't hurt anyone, he cornered her, he freaked her out – _you took her glove?_" He moved to the Department head, fists clenched, and Draco pushed him back.

"Look, somebody has to go get her, she'll die out there in this mess," Draco insisted.

"I'll go," George stated, moving to follow her path before blinking at the gold that slowly crept across the cobblestones and the houses.

"Yeah, you better go get her fast," Draco decided.

* * *

><p>Hermione puffed air out of her lungs, the wind stinging her face and making her eyes water. She stopped on top of the mountain she'd trekked, wondering if her ears had fallen off. She snorted and began to move again, jerking the glove off of her hand and flinging it into the snow behind her. She paused and turned to look back at Hogwarts, but only saw small, flickering lights.<p>

She was alone.

She was…alone.

She couldn't hurt anyone up here. She cautiously lifted a hand and gave a small laugh when a burst of gold dust fluttered into the breeze. She did it again, watching it swirl around and shift and change. After taking the heavy cape off, she gave a determined grin and spread her fingers out in front of her, a staircase connecting a chasm and when she touched it, it began to smooth out. She ran up, feeling giddy and free, before she reached a clear spot on the mountain and started to think.

With a very deep breath and quite a bit of concentration, she began to climb higher and higher into the sky, walls climbing up around her, crystalizing and connecting together. She laughed at what she had done, turning to look out of the window to a balcony. "You see that? The perfect little girl is gone! I'll stay up here, where my fears can't control me anymore." She reached up and plucked the crown out of her hair, flinging it away, "I'm _never_ going back!" She ripped her fingers through her hair, letting it out of a braid and fly all around her, her dress shifting and changing in the process.

With a self-satisfied smirk, she moved and shut the door behind her, breathing a sigh of relief.

* * *

><p>"So you do…what, exactly?"<p>

Harry sighed, "I sell gold."

"Oh, hah, wow, that's – erm…" George faltered and shifted in the sled, "Tough luck, buddy."

"Yeah," Harry murmured before arching an eyebrow at the redhead, "So what happened to the queen? Why'd she go…berserk?"

"Well, she's apparently been hiding this secret gold curse thing since she's been younger," George admitted, "She locked herself in her room for nine years. Fred, uhh…he really missed her."

"Then why isn't he racing up a mountain slope to get her?"

"He died."

"Oh," Harry coughed.

"Our whole family did, actually, as far as we know. Well, Hermione isn't related, but she's kind of all I have left."

"Look, George, to be perfectly honest…why are you trying to drag her back down there?" Harry questioned, "It sounds like she'd be better off alone."

"She's _been_ alone – I can't do that to her," George shook his head. "She needs someone, and since she can't get the person she needs, a look-a-like could try to do _some_ good, right?"

"I…guess." Harry frowned.

"Also, Hogwarts is kind of encased in gold. Stuff is stuck shut – I'm pretty sure we'll have to fix that."

"Well, yeah, that too."

* * *

><p>"Whoa," Harry gaped, lifting his head up to stare at the golden castle, "I – I think I'm gonna cry."<p>

"Wouldn't blame you, but I might judge you," George hummed, raising his hand to knock and pausing.

"Uhm…knocking helps, you know."

"Yeah, I just…" he lowered his fist, "Nine years, and she's never opened the door. I got her to once…I don't know if I could do it again."

"You never know until you _knock_."

George nodded and sucked in a breath, rapping his knuckles against the door and blinking when it opened up. "Uhm…Hermione?"

"George?" she echoed back, appearing from a doorway and blinking at him before grinning, spreading her arms out, "What do you think?"

"Wow," Harry whispered, turning in circles, gawking at the ceiling. "Yup. Gonna cry. Break out the tissues."

"Hermione, this is brilliant," George smiled, hugging her before patting her shoulders, "Alright, let's go."

"Go?" she repeated.

"Yeah, back to Hogwarts, come on," he said, moving her towards the door.

"George, I'm not going back," she said determinedly. "I'm staying; you're going."

"Hermione, I'm not leaving you here alone," George argued as she began to move back to the staircase.

"George, please, go back," she stated as she turned, "Go, enjoy the snow, open up the gates."

"Err, yeah, I know, but – "

"I know you mean well, but leave me alone," she gave a sad little smile, rubbing her arms, "Yeah, I'm alone, but I'm not going to hurt anyone. Just – just go back and you and everyone else will be safe."

"Actually…we're not," Harry spoke up.

She turned and glared at him and George, "What do you mean you're not?"

"I get the feeling you don't know," George murmured.

"_What_ do I not know?" she asked desperately.

"Well, Hogwarts is in deep, deep, deep, deep…shit," Harry sighed.

"What?" Hermione blinked.

"You kind of encased everything in twelve inches of gold," George hummed before grinning, unaware that a dust storm of gold was beginning, "But it's okay, you can just get rid of it."

"No I can't, I – I don't know how," she said, taking several steps away from him, clutching her hands to her chest. "George, please, go. Now."

"We can fix it, Hermione, we can go back and undo this."

"Uhh, George?" Harry called, grabbing his glasses back from the wind as George stepped closer and closer to Hermione as she breathed heavily and ripped her hands through the braid, her hair flying wild.

"I've ruined everything, I've messed up everything – how _stupid_ was I?" Hermione heaved, George pausing as he finally seemed to notice the storm around him.

"Hermione, you can change it back, you can – "

"I _CAN'T!_" she shouted, George ducking for cover as a wave of golden sheet sliced through where he'd been standing, Hermione gasping and running her hands through her hair again. "I think you should leave. Now. I mean it." And with that, she moved up the staircase, and slammed the door behind her.

* * *

><p>"How in the world are we going to fix Hogwarts?" George asked as Harry marched through the woods, advising George not to trip over a root or a rock as he led the way.<p>

"Well, maybe not freaking her out might have worked," Harry hummed.

"Maybe," George gave a humorless laugh before lifting his head and looking around, "Where are we going?"

"Well, I figure that you might want a solution to your little problem, so I'm leading you to my friends," Harry shrugged.

"Your friends?" George echoed.

"Yeah, I'm really close to them," he said, "Hopefully they know how to fix everything down there." Harry stopped in front of some bushes, looking very seriously up at George as the redhead arched an eyebrow.

"Are your friends the bushes?" he asked, pointing suspiciously at the shrubbery.

"No – but you can't scare them or freak them out either," Harry stated with a glare, "These people took me in, I appreciate their company and don't badger them about things they want to keep hidden, so I suggest you do the same."

"Right," George nodded, stepping through when Harry pushed back the shrub, blinking at the house that seemed like it was going to fall at any second, just by how unbalanced it seemed. "Huh, seems something like Dad would build." He turned and blinked at a brook lying on rock. "Hey, that looks like Ginny's old broom." He took a deep breath and involuntarily gave a small smile, "It smells like Mum's food."

"Ginny?" Harry echoed, blinking at George, "How do you know Ginny?"

"Ginny was the name of my sister, but she – "

"GEORGE!" George was cut short and the wind was knocked out of him as a small, redheaded girl threw herself into his arms, sobbing into his chest as he blinked, as if he didn't know what to do with his arms.

"G-Ginny?" he asked brokenly before realizing that his sister was hugging him, and soon doing the same. "Oh Merlin, Ginny, _you're alive._"

"You're here, you're alive, we thought you'd died in the raid," she sniffled before shooting out of his arms, grabbing his wrist and towing him toward the house. "Mum! Dad! George is here, he's alive!"

The door opened and Weasleys came flooding out, surrounding George and hugging him tightly, Molly kissing him repeatedly on his face and his dad turning away to hug Harry from unknowingly bringing them their long-lost son and brother. Once the sea of Weasleys was parted, George looked up and gaped at a very familiar grin.

"Hey, George," Fred grinned, a couple of tears slipping down his face, "Long time, no see."

"Oh my God, Freddie," George breathed, "I thought…."

"Yeah, thought so too, that's why we all hid out," Fred gave a short laugh, "Greyback is pretty damn scary."

"God, give me a hug you two-eared freak!" George laughed, wrapping his twin up in his arms and gripping him tightly, "You, sir, are a huge arse. Making us think you were dead."

"Us?" he echoed, pulling back and blinking at him.

George blinked back, "Yeah, us."

"Who us?" he frowned.

"Hermione and I us."

"Hermione?" he breathed, "You got Hermione to come out?"

"Err – no," he chuckled, "You kind of did. What with you dying and everything. Or so we thought."

"Well, where is she?" Fred asked, grinning brightly and looking over his head, his grin faltering when he couldn't find her, "You didn't bring her?"

"Well, hey, it's not like I had this planned," George snorted before grimacing, "Look, Mate, the reason she holed herself up – "

"Mum and Dad told me, I know now, I just thought she'd been killed when the Death Eaters raided our house," Fred murmured, "I guess she hid her door then?"

"She never said anything, I guess we know why," George frowned, "Greyback is pretty damn scary."

"Well, then where is she?" Fred frowned back.

"Up in a huge golden castle she made," Harry answered instead, "I'll lead you back up there, seriously, I need another excuse to look at this thing."

Fred nodded and grabbed Harry, leading him towards the sled before George stopped him.

"Fred," he began, "She kind of turned Hogwarts into the inside of a treasure chest."

He faltered, "On purpose?"

"Well, no, it was an accident," George stated.

Fred nodded before leading Harry once again, "Come on, Boy Wonder, lead the way."

* * *

><p>"George, I told you to go away!" Hermione shouted, sitting against the door as he knocked, tears running down her face as she watched the gold creep up her arms. It had started not too long after he'd left in the first place, and she was scared of what was happening to her.<p>

"That's not going to work anymore now that I know you open doors," he answered in a singing tone.

"I'll hurt you, leave," she insisted.

"You wouldn't hurt me unless I deserved it," he smirked.

"George, please, you're being just like Fred," she sobbed, gripping her hands to her chest and bowing her head.

"Gee, I wonder why that is."

She lifted her head before looking up at the handle, "Freddie?"

He knocked out a pattern, one that made her press a hand to her mouth and begin to cry again. "Do you wanna build a _snowmaaaan_?" he asked with a convincing lilt to his voice, the grin evident.

She pulled open the door and the cold air came rushing in, blinking at the grin and the longer hair, both ears in place. As she stood staring at him, Harry could be heard gushing nearby over the castle and how beautifully she'd made it.

Fred rocked back on his heels and grinned wider, "It doesn't have to be a snowman, you know."

She sobbed and wrapped her arms around his middle, hugging him tightly as he did the same, lowering them both to the floor and burying his face into her hair, "I know."

"Hey," he murmured, rubbing her back as she gripped the back of his coat. "You're seriously pretty."

"Wait, what?" Hermione stilled, a blush slowly spreading to her face.

"I mean, like," he pulled away a little, blushing as well, "You look…nice. Pretty. Beautiful. I mean, not like you didn't always, but it's…erm…hi. It's been a while. You don't look eight anymore."

She blinked before laughing, collapsing on the floor and clutching her ribs as Fred blushed harder and smacked his forehead. Once she was done laughing, she sat back on her hands and grinned at him, "You don't look ten anymore either."

Fred gave a rather sheepish grin before blinking at her hands, leaning closer to see, "What's going on there?"

She looked at her palm and was surprised to see the gold creeping back towards her fingertips, both of her arms free now. "I don't know. I didn't know. I stopped being scared when I realized you were alive and now it's going back."

"Hey," Harry popped his head in from around a corner, "That might actually fix everything."

"What would?" Fred asked.

Harry smirked back, making Fred and Hermione share a glance before they sighed and he stood before helping her up.

"If we nearly die because of another one of your plans, Harry, I'm blaming you," Fred decided before gripping Hermione's hand and towing her down to the sled.

* * *

><p>"Do <em>not<em> kill her!" Draco ordered, marching back down to the courtyard, trying not to skate on the gold that encased the building and grounds. Hermione, Potter and who appeared to be George were standing by the fountain, Hermione with tears on her face and the redhead comforting her. "Can you fix it?"

"I can try," she sniffed before looking to Potter, who took her hand before placing it in Fred's. He stood there for a moment, making them hold hands as everyone stared back at him.

Harry sighed and dropped their hands, looking between the two before he hummed and peered back at Fred, who squinted in return. "Interesting…."

"He's nuts, isn't he?" Draco asked, making Hermione shrug back.

Harry grabbed a fistful of Fred's hair and towed him down to mutter into his ear, making Fred pale before blushing before grinning brightly, nodding and then grinning wickedly down at Hermione.

"Your Highness," he bowed deeply, "Please forgive anything I may do in an attempt to save you from being a golden statue."

Hermione frowned back at him before he gripped her waist and dipped her to place a peck on her forehead. She blushed, and he grinned wider as the gold behind her in his field of vision began to turn back to stone.

"Fred, what are you - ?" she began before he kiss her cheek, nose, anywhere on her face, making her blush deeper and deeper and the gold spread away.

"Why? How?" Hermione asked as she was righted, the school back to being covered only in snow, Fred's arms wrapped around her as he grinned happily, the others in the courtyard cheering.

"All it took was knowing that you were loved," Harry answered, "You actually have a pretty normal condition, if only hard to find and research on, which is easily treated by having loved ones close by, and knowing that they cared about you."

"How do you know?" Hermione frowned.

"Gold is my life," Harry stated, making her smile back at him before she was dipped away from him, Fred grinning and waggling his eyebrows at her.

"And I am making sure you will _never_ be alone and unloved again!" he decided before swooping in and kissing her thoroughly, beaming once he pulled away as she blinked.

"Well, if I must forsake my solitude for the greater good, so be it," she sighed, giggling as he began to kiss around her face again.

* * *

><p>Hermione settled into her chair, frowning at the paperwork before giving a very tired sigh and leaning against her desk, tapping her quill against the parchment as she read through, line for line, well aware that there was a wonderful snow storm going on outside of the windows.<p>

Hermione had convinced them to put the title of Minister for Magic back in place, and to elect Kingsley Shacklebolt for the position instead. She'd been given the Head of Magical Maladies job, researching on rare cases so others wouldn't have to go through the same thing she went through. She was currently on a penpal program with a young woman from a small magical country outside of Denmark, who had nearly the same affliction, although with ice rather than gold. The two were getting very well acquainted, and Hermione was looking forward to visiting her and her sister in the summer.

However, Hermione's new job came with an abundance of paperwork that was certainly _not_ fun.

She lifted her head and grinned when a rhythm was tapped onto the door, already rising from her seat and moving around the desk.

"Hermiiiiiiiooonneee?" Fred called, "Do you want to build a - ?" The door was opened before he could finished the sentence, and she was dragging him down the stairs of their house with a grin, heading outside and grabbing a coat and a pair of gloves on the way out, Fred taking his scarf off to settle it around her neck instead.

The cold never bothered him anyway.

* * *

><p><strong>It's two in the morning and I have a snow day.<strong>

**_Do you wanna build a snowmaaaaaan?_**

**Love,**

****Birdie****


	63. The Importance of Being Forgetful

**HeyHeyHeyHeyHey, guess what day it is! Guess what day it is!**

**You: *sighing* April Fool's Day**

**Woop-wooooop!**

**(I'm sorry I personally hate this commercial but I had to.)**

* * *

><p>Fred liked to pride himself on being able to remember loads of very important things. He remembered his mother's birthday and his parents' wedding anniversary. He remembered his daughters' birthdays and their doctor or dental appointments. He remembered his brothers' and sister's birthdays, and tried his best to remember their spouses' birthdays, and with the nieces and nephews he honestly tried to keep track as best he could. When it came to his wife, he remembered her birthday, their wedding anniversary, the day they met, and the day of their first date.<p>

But he could not, for the life of him, remember what was so special about this day. Dana had hugged him tightly and told him to have a good day before kissing him on the cheek. Marissa had toddled over and hugged his leg, and he'd sadly had to pry the little girl off to go to work, and Hermione had kissed him and told him to have a good day as well, and to attempt to behave. Hermione's part was something she did every day, of course, and he usually grinned and said something cheeky back to her, but this time he looked at her warily.

"Is something going on?" he asked.

Hermione had blinked before beaming, gripping the front of his shirt in surprise, "You don't know?"

"Uhm…no," he had stated, "Should I?"

She'd laughed, "You would think." She had kissed him again and grinned wider, "Don't worry about it, Fred. I love you." Again, this latter part was something that was said every day, multiple times.

He smiled back warily, "I love you too. Bye girls!"

"Bye, Daddy!" Dana and Marissa chorused, each giggling and waving as Hermione beamed brightly at him as he left. Unknown to Fred, however, as soon as she heard him Apparate away she rushed to the Floo.

"George, George, don't let Fred know it's his birthday, he's forgotten and I know how to surprise him," she practically squealed with glee.

"Terribly rude, it serves him right!" George responded with a sniff, "He's forgotten mine as well!" He grinned back at the curly-headed witch, "Don't you worry, I won't say a word."

Hermione smirked at the fire as Dana, five years old with wide eyes, looked curiously to her mother.

"Mummy, what are you doing?" she asked, "Why don't you want Daddy to know it's his birthday?"

Hermione smiled back, "He always remembers every important day for everyone else and surprises them, so we're going to do the same."

"Are we pulling a prank?" Marissa asked with glee.

"I suppose you could call it a prank," Hermione grinned.

Marissa lit up before bouncing into her room, "I'll get the feathers!"

Hermione blinked before pursing her lips, "I don't even want to know why your father gave you those."

Fred stepped into work and gave an audible groan at the amount of people waiting outside the shop. With a sigh, he made his way to the register before he was stopped by George, Verity, and Lee – the latter of which didn't even work in the shop anymore.

"What's going on?" Fred asked, starting to get the feeling that he was missing quite a lot.

"Nothing," George answered, and he trusted his twin, "We're just putting you at the inventing table today instead."

"Why?" he asked carefully, eyebrows coming down.

"We haven't had any new products in some time, Fred," Verity answered, "It could make bigger business for the shop."

"Do we really need it?" Fred asked in surprise, gesturing to the windows regarding the people on the sidewalks.

"Think of it as a fallback, a nest egg for Hermione and the girls," Lee offered, "Why, my great-grand uncle saved up - "

"Forget it," Fred cut off, holding up his hand to stop his friend from going on about any more about his extended family, "I'm going to the table."

"Do try not to blow something up, it's bad for business when there's fumes coming out of the back room," George sighed dramatically.

"Oh, come on," Fred grinned back, holding back the curtain to step inside, "The fumes give us a buzz."

George laughed, grinning wider when Fred stepped into the backroom, and Lee and Verity cracked up into quiet giggles.

"He really doesn't know?" Lee whispered.

George chuckled, "He doesn't! I am so glad Granger didn't remind him, this is great."

"What is she planning to do to him?" Verity questioned.

"Beats me, probably something gross and romantic," George snorted, rolling his eyes as Verity sighed at his response. "I'm going to go Floo Mum, tell her to spread the word. Think you can handle opening?"

"Think so," Lee and Verity chorused before taking deep breaths and grabbing a couple of orange and purple striped military helmets. George saluted them, taking his hat with him upstairs to Floo their mother.

* * *

><p>Fred looked curiously at his younger brother, who was casually strolling along, looking at the shelves of his back room, which was not something Ron commonly did. Ron caught him looking and blinked back in surprise.<p>

"What?" Ron asked.

"Why are you here?" Fred questioned instead.

"I suppose to help Hermione keep track of Harry when we were younger, it seems to have been my main purpose in life so far," Ron responded dully.

Fred glared, "You and everyone else are acting strangely today, and I want to know why."

Ron sat on the edge of the horribly ugly couch that had once been in his and Hermione's loft, "Well, let's see…Have you done anything to anyone?"

"Err, no, not for a while," Fred answered, spinning in his chair slightly.

"Did you forget something important? Anniversary of something?" Ron asked, and he knew quite well that he certainly had.

"No, definitely not, there's nothing in March," Fred stated matter-of-factly, quite unaware that the last day of March was the day before.

"Quite right," Ron nodded, trying not to grin, before he shrugged, "Beats me. Perhaps the universe just wants to be nice to you."

"That's incredibly weird," he hummed.

"Was Hermione any different today or something?" Ron asked.

"Kind of," Fred sighed, "I asked if I was missing something and she said not to worry about it."

"Missing what?" Ron said, wondering if he was close to ruining everything.

"The girls were…well, nicer than usual," he chuckled, "I know I shouldn't complain, but I think something is up."

"They are your daughters," Ron pointed out, "Could be trying to prank you."

"Hah, they couldn't," Fred gave a smug grin, "I taught them everything they know!"

Ron nodded as he stood, moving to go out of the room, before turning back to his brother, "You never know, Hermione may do something…."

Fred froze, staring at the curtain as it fluttered shut, before he began to think about his wife and all of the little moments he'd been awed by her mischievous side. He'd praised her for these moments and begged her to do them more often and in his presence. Hermione had been off-limits for major pranks ever since they began to date, and Fred had listened to these rules for fear of being broken up with, and they'd been far too busy since they were married for him to prank her. But Fred had never been declared off-limits for pranks from Hermione, and that was what worried him.

Fred contemplated as to what could've made Hermione think to prank him, as he hadn't dyed her hair since she was pregnant with Marissa, and he hadn't switched out a normal household object for a modified version of it since Dana had begun to walk. It was actually quite stressful, trying to think of what was going to be done to you and for what reason and not coming up with anything.

* * *

><p>"Oh, hello, Love, how's your day going?" Hermione asked over the phone, and Fred bit the inside of his cheek on his side. George had brought him a sandwich and waited on the hideous couch as Fred called his wife.<p>

"Erm, fine, I was just wondering – have I done something recently?" Fred asked, watching as George looked up from his own sandwich curiously.

"Uhh…not that I know of," Hermione stated warily before huffing, "If you're thinking that you're long overdue for a prank, at least – "

"No, of course – well, possibly, if I'm being honest – I just can't figure out what's up with today," Fred answered.

"Well," Hermione said smugly, and Fred straightened up and gripped the side of the table just by her tone, "I suppose you'll have to come home and find out."

"Hermione, what did you do?" Fred asked, his voice getting slightly higher and a little louder. "Please tell me you won't burn my hair or something."

"Hmm, no promises," she hummed before laughing, "I love you, Darling, I'll see you soon."

"I love you too," Fred sighed, gripping his hair as George looked on in amusement. "Bye." He hung up and tossed his phone on the table, looking up at the ceiling with a squint.

"What's going on?" George asked, moving to sit on the edge of the table and chew his sandwich.

"Fuck if I know," Fred shrugged, groaning as he rubbed at his eyes.

"Hey, why don't you go on and head home early?" George asked.

"Ohh no, that's just what she wants," Fred stated, looking at his twin with a glare.

"I'm sorry?" George blinked, "I thought you actually liked your wife?"

"I do, love her to death, I'm just terrified of her mind," he answered. "She's bloody brilliant, George, she could come up with anything and I'd never see it coming."

"Well, what if you catch her off guard?" he asked.

"What if she _planned_ that I'd come home early?" Fred's eyes widened. "Oh Merlin – what if she's got the girls in on it?"

"Well, either you catch her off guard or you get it over with," George shrugged before snorting, "It might honestly not even be that bad."

Fred hummed before standing, grabbing his phone and taking a deep breath. He gripped George's shoulder, noticing the look of amusement in his eyes. "If I don't make it, tell Hermione I love her."

George chuckled, "You're going to see Hermione, tell her that yourself."

"Oh yeah," Fred smiled as he headed to the door, "It can't be that bad, can it?"

"Nah, it's the Perfect Prefect you're talking about," George waved it off, grinning madly at his sandwich as his twin left. "She better take pictures, all I'm asking."

* * *

><p>Fred stared at their apartment number, peering at the wood as if he could see through it. He gripped the door knob, unlocking it silently, before opening it slowly. Finding that everything appeared to be alright, he opened the door wider before he was blinded by all different sorts of color.<p>

"Surprise!" Dana and Marissa cheered from the couch, standing on the cushions and grinning over at him from the back of the couch.

Hermione laughed, gripping onto the kitchen island and running her fingers through her hair, smiling at his appearance. Fred had been bombarded by different colors of glitter and feathers, and a few streamers had fluttered down and landed on his shoulder and head. He blinked back at his wife, looking at her blankly before she walked over to him and towed him down to her height to kiss.

When she pulled away, she'd gotten glitter in her hair and on her face, still grinning at him happily, "Happy Birthday, Fred."

Fred blinked back before giving her a dark look, frowning down at her, "Girls, go to your room."

Hermione blinked at the change as the girls quickly scampered to their room, Fred shutting the door behind him and casting a silencing charm on the girls' door. Hermione watched him warily, biting her lip before Fred snorted and cried out, "Son of a bitch, I forgot!"

Hermione leaned into his chest and laughed with him, feeling him bury his face into her hair as he laughed.

"I forgot, I fucking forgot my own fucking birthday," Fred chuckled, "That was brilliant though, what was it? Did you make a charm or something?"

"Actually," Hermione smiled up at him, "The girls and I got buckets. The only thing involving magic was to hold them up, the concept was purely Muggle."

Fred beamed, kissing all over Hermione's face, well aware of the mess the glitter was making, "You're brilliant, I've never been more proud of you."

"It was just a simple Muggle prank," she smiled.

"But it was a prank!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her waist before lifting the silencing charm on the girls' door, "Girls, come out here!"

Dana warily poked her head out before curiously walking over to them, Marissa gripping her bear and following.

"This was a brilliant prank," Fred said as he released Hermione, crouching down and beaming as his daughters began to smile. "I feel honored to have been beaten at my own game."

Marissa rushed forward and hugged Fred around the neck, "We love you, Daddy."

Dana was next, kissing her father's cheek, "Happy Birthday."

"It really is," Fred said as he pulled Dana into the hug and kissed his daughters' heads. He stood, admiring the sparkly mess on both of the girls, and the even bigger mess on his wife. "Ooh, I need to prank George! We've never been pranked on our birthday before, and since I just was, I think he needs to."

Marissa beamed brightly, already bouncing, "I'll go get another bucket!"

"Another?" Fred echoed, blinking as the girls ran back to their room. "There are more?"

"Don't worry about it, Love," Hermione smiled, leaning into his side and kissing him again.

"That's what you said last time, and look where it got me," Fred teased, kissing the side of her head and laughing when a streamer fell onto her as well.

Sometimes, it pays to forget.

* * *

><p><strong>I am quite happy with this. It may stink, but it's alright. It'll do for now. <strong>

**I am sorry that I'm not updating much of anything, guys, but especially this. My life…is hectic. Between school, friends, family and my future, I feel like I'm being tugged in every direction imaginable.**

**Also, I bought my prom dress for $38 dollars total. Which is a big deal because they usually run for at least $100 or more if you want to get super fancy, which I do not, so this suits my needs and purposes just fine. (It's kind of Ravenclaw-themed though, which I'm not opposed to as Gryffindor colors clash majorly with my hair, unless we darken them, but this is turning out to be a far longer author's note than I intended.)**

**(Yes, I'm still going to do the thing.)**

**Love,  
>Birdie<strong>


	64. Which One?

**Ugh. Life fucking sucks. I just want to pause it most days and fix everything and then hit play. (Although, if I'm being honest, I'd use it mostly to nap and catch up on any work I need to do. Like write Headaches, for example.)**

**I owe this chapter to my fantastic friend DarthAbby – who I actually met because of Headaches, now that I think about it – who tagged a post on Tumblr with 'em' 'em look'. So this idea is not entirely mine. (Being real here, I've done everything I can think of for this story three times over. I'll just flesh out what prompts I get, okay?)**

* * *

><p>Hermione Jean Granger was a very talented young witch. Even at twelve, she could outshine her classmates in any subject – a fact that this little Muggleborn was quite proud of, although her peers thought differently. Nevertheless, the curly haired first year would not be deterred from anything she set her mind to. Simply for the fact that she couldn't stand being wrong.<p>

The Weasley twins had been two beings she had met on the train, along with Neville Longbottom. Identical twin brothers who could finish each other's sentences and maintain a conversation through looks and tilts of the heads, the two were quick to grin and quick to scheme. They were partly the reason that Neville lost his toad, Trevor, but they did help find him in the end, so she supposed they weren't _too_ bad.

She knew, of course, that one of the twins was a Gryffindor, and the other in Ravenclaw. However, the problem was trying to decide which one belonged where. Fred and George were quite fond of switching uniforms and emblems – or even having the two separate House emblems on their uniforms – and losing points for whatever House they were in for the day. The problem, however, was the fact that they would lose points no matter if one was in his House or his twin's for the day. She found them relatively annoying in that respect, but couldn't find it in her to completely hate them.

"Hey, Granger!" one of the twins called as he approached her, grinning down at her as she looked up from her spot on the grass by the tree. Before she could tell him 'hello' or to go to hell, he sat down beside her and looked over the massive books she had in her care. "Wow, you seem busy. Need the extra credit or something?" he asked.

"No," she stated, looking at him curiously as he tilted the books up to read the spines or the back covers. "Just reading."

"For fun?" he asked, looking at her dubiously.

"Of course," she nodded.

He wrinkled his nose, but gave a small grin, "Such a Ravenclaw thing to do, Miss Gryffindor. I should know, considering one of us spends a majority of the time in the Eagle House."

"Now is that one you, or your brother?" she asked with a small, amused smile.

He stood as he grinned, reaching down to tap her nose, "Ahh, the more important question is which one am I?"

"I have a fifty-fifty chance of getting it right," she said as he began to walk away.

He turned to walk backwards as he smirked at her, arching an eyebrow and tilting his head as he shoved his hands in his pockets, "You also have a fifty-fifty chance of getting it wrong." As her smile dropped, he chuckled and turned to walk away properly, although it did appear to be more of a strut. "Tah, Granger! Best of luck trying to figure out which is which – our own mother has problems doing so sometimes!"

Hermione huffed and turned back to her books, determined not to make it seem like she had lost…whatever it was that had just happened.

* * *

><p>"Oy! Granger!"<p>

Hermione turned, giving a small sigh as she saw the two stride up to her before one wrapped an arm around her shoulders and took to walking with her, the other pressing his arm against hers and keeping close. After a few moments of them doing this, Hermione finally sighed and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Why, we're walking you to class, of course!" one said.

"What with the creature lurking around school – "

"We thought you could use the extra muscle," he finished.

She gave a laugh and covered her mouth with her hand as the two turned to frown at her. "Sorry," she laughed, unaware that passing girls had taken to glaring at her for her close proximity to the twins. "Of course, Fred, George, you're both very strong and scary."

"I don't appreciate your tone, Miss," the one with his arm around her shoulders said, giving a haughty sniff. "We should just leave you to walk to the deep, dark dungeon yourself."

She arched an eyebrow up at him, "But that would not be very gentlemanly of you."

"Too true!" the other exclaimed. "And if the poor lady got hurt – "

"Unspeakable!" he gasped back. "Don't say such things!"

"Knock on wood," Hermione smiled, grinning when the two looked down at her curiously. "Muggle superstition. To keep something bad from happening after you say it, you knock on a wooden object."

"Why?" they chorused.

"I don't quite know, actually," she hummed as they descended, forcing the two to walk behind her to fit down the narrow spiral stairs. "I should do some proper research on it, I never thought of it as anything other than an old wives' tale."

"An old what?" one asked, although the other looked quite thoughtful.

"I suppose it's because the eldest woman of a village seemed to be the grandmother to the town, and offer advice and various warnings to the others," he stated, and Hermione stopped walking to turn and look accusingly up at him.

"So _you're_ the Ravenclaw!" she declared, and he blinked back at her before smirking.

"Right, now which one am I?" he asked, and he kept the smirk as she stared blankly at him before she huffed and marched off towards her Potions class, leaving him and his twin chuckling as they headed back upstairs.

* * *

><p>Hermione pouted as she sat on the Quidditch stands, arms crossed over her chest and her pout hidden beneath her scarlet and gold scarf. She repressed a shudder against the cold, and instead glared down at the door to the Gryffindor locker rooms. How dare they be angry with her, when she was only looking out for his safety! Even Oliver Wood, who had never disliked her before, was suddenly eyeing her like she'd given his Quidditch team the ruddy plague! She tossed her hair, wondering why in the world she ever bothered being friends with boys, before she felt someone being smacked in the face with her hair.<p>

She gasped and turned, gaping at one of the twins as he sat and blinked back at her in surprise before cracking a grin. "I know you're upset with Ron, but I'm the better Weasley brother, so there's no need to go tossing your mane."

"I'm so sorry…whichever one you are, I didn't realize you were there," she said, and he gave a shrug before settling into his spot next to her.

After a few moments of her staring at him, he turned back to look at her and blink. "Is this seat taken or something?"

"Oh, no, the entire Gryffindor House is displeased with me, so it's empty," she snorted, before tilting her head at him, "I was just wondering why you were sitting there at all."

"Well, I suppose I've got to be here for my ruddy twin, don't I?" he sighed, settling his elbows on the bench behind them as he reclined, causing Hermione to turn slightly to look back at him. "I wish they'd let us play on the same team – I spend just as much time in Gryffindor as he does, but _no_. We're great Beaters, far better than that sketchy bloke."

Hermione thought for a moment before snorting, "He's not sketchy, he's very good."

"Yeah, well, I'm better," he insisted, giving a sigh as he tilted his head up to the overcast sky above them, "And I have to deal with the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. All about tactics and strategies, which is all well and good, but we need the drive and the bravery to just plummet towards the earth and hope for the best. The only hope we have of winning anything is the Quidditch Cup, seeing as me and my marvelous twin are trying our hardest to keep each other's Houses from winning the House Cup. McGonagall just started took off points from both, which isn't fun, but I suppose that's our fault for trying to play anything when she's around." He was silent for a moment or two before he popped his head back up and stared at her, "And I just got that you meant why I'm sitting by you. Sorry. And it's because your Gryffindor classmates are being assholes to you. Also, because I enjoy your company, but that's neither here nor there."

Hermione gave a small smile, "Thank you."

He grinned back at her, "No, thank _you_." As she snorted and rolled her eyes, he tilted his head to her as he sat up straighter, "So why _are_ the Gryffindors being prats to you?"

She gave a sigh, huddling into herself further as she scanned the Quidditch pitch for any signs of the match starting, "I've ruined their fun with my logic, _again_."

"How dreadful," he said, although he kept his grin, "You can always switch to Ravenclaw, I'll be far nicer to you."

"I don't know," she gave a small hum, "I quite like having people think I'm brave, even for a moment. Although, it's mainly because of my House that they even think that at all."

"Bravery, Miss Granger," he began, "Is not all about the greater good. What's bravery for one person isn't the same as bravery for another person. Someone can be brave for hunting down criminals all day and locking them away. But someone can also be brave for sticking up for what they believe in and what's right, even if they know the opinion isn't shared by those around them." She stared back at him, and he pursed his lips in thought before offering his hand to her, "I'm Fred, by the way."

She smiled back after a moment and shook his hand, "Nice to put a name to a personality." He chuckled and took his hand back, settling his elbows against the bench behind him again, talking to her throughout the match about various things that interested them.

* * *

><p>She clenched her jaw and gritted her teeth, portraying her pain for only a moment before releasing a breath and smiling sweetly at her partner. "Tha-that was very good, Lee, but that was also my foot that you just stepped on."<p>

Lee Jordan grimaced and looked at her in fear, retracting his hand from her waist, "Merlin, Hermione, I'm sorry, I don't – "

"No, it's fine," she insisted, "You're learning, it's alright to make mistakes."

"Not if it's hurting you," he sighed, placing his hand back on her waist and going slowly this time, staring at his feet. "I'm rubbish at this, I'm a lost cause, I'm – "

"A huge pansy," a voice interjected, and Lee hopped away from Hermione and placed his hands behind his back as she blinked at the twins lounging on the staircase. The two had found an alcove, hidden away from the Gryffindor common room, and had taken to practicing so the Gryffindor boy wouldn't be completely doomed when it came time for the Yule Ball.

"We were just – " Lee stammered as the twins shared amused glances between each other.

"Dancing?" they chorused to their friend.

"Or, rather, learning to dance," one began.

"And failing horribly," the other ended as he stood, shooing his friend away from Hermione before grinning cheekily to her as he bowed and extended a hand. She gave a sigh and took it, smiling at how easily it was to dance with someone other than Lee, and she blinked when he gave her a cheeky grin.

"I heard you have a date already?" he asked.

She gave a surprised noise before huffing, "Of course you heard. Ron is honestly a giant idiot."

"We know," the three boys insisted.

"He turned to me and he said 'oh, Hermione, you're a _girl_!'" They all grimaced as she huffed again, blowing a curl out of her face.

"He's a git, don't ever date him," the one she was dancing with insisted sternly, and she looked at him with such an offended look that he stopped dancing to double over with laughter.

"I have far better taste than to want to date your little brother!" she cried out as Lee cracked up as well, the other twin managing to keep his mouth shut, before she sighed, "Although, maintaining a friendship with him seems of poor taste as well." This finally sent the third boy over, and she gave a small smile as the three tried to get a grip on themselves.

* * *

><p>Hermione bit the inside of her cheek, staring down at her hand in determination before a hand gripped her chin and tilted her head up to look at him. She was quite sure that she'd never seen him so serious, and it was such a new expression on his face that she forgot all about the pain in her hand.<p>

"It isn't your fault," he insisted, and she blinked back at him before tugging her chin out of his grip and shaking her head.

"I know that," she said, lifting her chin and frowning back at him, "She's a horrid bint, it's all her fault that this has happened."

He arched an eyebrow at her before giving a small, tired smile, settling the bowl of murtlap essence on his knee and gripping her wrist as she steadied herself for the pain to follow. She would have done it herself, of course, but she'd been administering it to the other Gryffindors from Dumbledore's Army all night, and now that everyone else was asleep she'd realized she'd run out.

"So," she began quietly, "Which twin do I need to thank?"

He gave a small smile, "You can't guess?"

She hummed, looking up at his face as she thought; grimacing as he slowly lowered her hand into the murtlap. "Ahh – Fred?"

"Correct," his smile got a little wider, "Congratulations, you get the smarter twin this evening."

She sighed, leaning back against the Ravenclaw common room couch and rubbing the bridge of her nose with her free hand. "How terribly lucky of me."

"Hermione," Fred said, reaching out to do something before thinking better of it and dropping his hand, "George and I are planning to drop out of Hogwarts." As she sat up a little straighter, he stopped her lecture with a small look, "We're starting up our joke shop earlier than anticipated. We can't take the toad anymore, and if you couldn't either…well, there are homeschooling permits that you could get, and you could come and visit whenever you liked."

"I…Fred, I can't," she insisted, "Hogwarts is my home. And, besides, Harry needs me. I couldn't do that to him."

He nodded slowly, watching her hand through the murky liquid, "I understand. It was worth a shot though, right?" She gave a small smile and he grinned back, tapping a finger to the tip of her nose, "You're visiting loads during the summer though, and if we get up enough money, we're going to build a Hogsmeade branch. So when that comes up, you'll have no excuse to not come and visit then."

She chuckled and grinned back at him, "That sounds brilliant, Fred."

"It should," he said importantly, "I thought of it."

* * *

><p>"Oy! Granger! You are quite rude, you know, not stopping by earlier!"<p>

She turned and gave a laugh as Fred – and she was quite proud to say that she could tell the difference now – strode up to her, trying to act angry with her and failing as his smile tried to break through. "You just opened today! How was I supposed to visit sooner?"

"You're brilliant, you could've found a way," he insisted before grinning brightly at her and stooping down to hug, looking extremely pleased to see her as George popped up in the background, waved enthusiastically at her, and then disappeared behind the throngs of people that had rushed into the store. "By the way, what are you doing by the love potions?"

She flushed and turned to give the giggling Ginny a glare as she hid on the other side of the lurid pink and purple display, although it was rather lacking as Fred still had his arms around her. "Your sister – "

"_What?_" Fred and George chorused, George seeming to have Apparated from nowhere – which was honestly quite a dangerous idea since the store was filled with people – but the twins were advancing on their sister and glaring down at her.

"Finish the sentence, finish the sentence!" Ginny pleaded, crouching down behind the display.

"Your sister thinks I need a date!" Hermione finished with a sigh, and the two stopped before looking to each other, wicked grins beginning to form on their faces. "I say no, I want to study for the N.E.W.T.s as much as possible, but she keeps calling me a chicken and threatened to use Amortentia on me and whoever she picked out for me."

Fred hummed before turning to Ginny, who had stepped out from hiding with a deep sigh, "Tell me, sister dear, is this volunteer or…?" George snickered as Hermione's mouth dropped open and she blushed before she snorted and moved away.

"You're impossible!" she declared, moving off to go hide behind Harry until she was punched in the eye by the telescope. George gave her the cream with several apologies, although few of them actually pertained to the matter at hand, but she supposed it was better than nothing.

Still, she had to admit, she was very proud of her two favorite pranksters for actually following their dreams, no matter what stood in their way. Some days she wished that things were turning out differently, and that she could do the same.

* * *

><p>"Hermione, Hermione, calm down, calm down! Just breathe, okay? You're safe now, I promise."<p>

Hermione couldn't exactly see the face of who was talking to her, as she was shutting her eyes tightly and trying not to cry, but she knew exactly who it was. So she leaned further into him and gripped his shirt as he rubbed her back, holding her tightly and letting her break down when she couldn't hold it in any more. Once she'd cried until the tears were all gone and they'd been silent for some time, she pulled away and looked back at Fred.

"How did you know where we were?" she asked.

He pursed his lips, "Bill came and got me, told me what happened to you and asked if I knew how to help. You become the only Ravenclaw in the family, and suddenly everyone thinks you're a miracle worker."

"You helped," she said meekly, and he gave her a soft smile before tugging her back into him and settling his cheek on top of her head.

"That's sweet of you to lie for my sake, but thanks," he said, running his hand up and down her back and trying not to be too concerned as he felt every vertebrae and rib. "Are you okay? I mean, physically, anything I can patch up?"

"I'm fine," she said, "The salve Fleur put on my a-arm is helping."

"I just hope it doesn't scar," he frowned.

"Fred?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he said, pulling away enough to look at her face as she kept her gaze on his shirt.

"Can…can you stay…?" she quietly requested before he gave a tiny grin and nodded, brushing her hair back before helping her under the blankets and lying down on the space next to her. He let her get comfortable, settling her head on his chest, before he handed her the dreamless sleep potion he and George had made back at the shop before heading over to Shell Cottage. He gave a deep sigh once she drifted off to sleep, frowning up at the darkened ceiling as if it were the cause for everything that was wrong with their world.

* * *

><p>"Hermione, do you mind grabbing Fred? He said he'd de-gnome the garden this morning, George says he'll get it next time though, so don't bother bringing him down. Merlin knows how awful they are in the morning."<p>

She smiled back at the Weasley matriarch, nodding and getting up from the breakfast table. It'd been two years since the War had been won, and the Burrow had sadly taken a few blows to it during it. She and Harry were staying to help with the renovations, and the slightly larger space that had a few major adjustments to aid in the care of the house had already calmed Mrs. Weasley some. It could also be that Hermione had put silencing charms on the twins' room, as they had been forced to move back home since their joke shop had been burned to the ground, but that certainly didn't stop them from creating any new products.

Hermione knocked on the door before entering, blinking when she found a twin kneeling in front of her, a ring box in his hand as he looked up at her.

"Hermione, I've been in love with you for ages," he insisted as she stepped into the room, his brother standing off to the side and watching the scene unfold quietly, "Ever since the moment I laid eyes on you! Well, no, actually, you were eleven and I was thirteen, so that would've been weird – but later! Like, after-puberty later! Anyway – I love you with all of my heart, so would you please marry me?"

She stared down at him before snorting, covering her mouth with her hands and laughing as the kneeling twin pouted and the observing one chuckled. "George, really, I don't think Luna would approve of our marriage."

"Dammit!" he said as he jumped up, huffing as he stuffed the ring box into his pocket, "When the hell did you start telling the difference, anyway?"

"Oh, third year, roughly," she chuckled as he glowered and stomped past her, making her shake her head at him as Fred grinned back at her and bent to kiss her cheek. "Honestly, as if I don't know which one is my own boyfriend."

"Ahh, yes, you see," Fred began as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and leaned into her, "George was not put into Ravenclaw for a reason. I tried to warn him that he wouldn't fool you, you know."

"What would you have done if I'd said yes?" she asked with a grin, wrapping her arms around his torso and setting her chin on his chest.

"Well, I'd have to kill him, first off, so after the funeral and after I get back from Azkaban, I suppose we could have the wedding then," he hummed before smiling at her surprised look. "What? You'll say yes to George but no to me?"

"Of course not," she snorted, trying not to blush and knowing that she was failing as he grinned wider at her. "But that sounded somewhat like a marriage proposal, Mister Weasley."

He arched an eyebrow down at her, "Would you like it to be?"

She thought about it for a few moments before gripping his collar and tugging him down for a proper kiss. "I'm keeping my last name," she stated before taking his hand and heading downstairs with him. "Also, your mother wants you to de-gnome the garden."

"Oh, no, that was code," he chuckled as she looked at him curiously, "For proposing. I'm proposing today, and George is proposing tomorrow."

"Poor Luna, if he uses roughly the same speech," she winced, Fred laughing and nodding before kissing her once again. She smiled, rolling her eyes as he tapped the top of her nose before going to the dining room to share the good news with the family.

* * *

><p><strong>*sighs deeply* *plans on having fun seeing HTTYD2 tomorrow* *really is just completely done with people in general* *is off to sleep now* Goodnight!<strong>

**Love,**

**Birdie**


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